Many Hearts to Tread
by Sarakaroline8
Summary: Sherry was prepared to survive the living dead. She wasn't prepared for the heartache and messed up world that came when Negan came along.
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTE – This is about Sherry in the Walking Dead comic books. I may take some liberties (in fact, be prepared for a LOT of liberties) because the comic books have only really mentioned her a handful of times. So far, she is a very underrated character. So instead of wallowing in pity and I **_**wish **_**Robert Kirkman would do (he's a very busy guy, after all), I went to FanFiction to fill the void. I hope you enjoy this. This will cross in between what has happened in the comic books but what has also happened in the show (so Daryl, Beth, and whomever is not in the comics will appear in this fanfiction eventually).**

**In this first "novel," you will get to know Sherry. **_**My **_**version of Sherry. Forewarning! She could be very different from the comics, but how can you know because you don't really know much about her (personality wise). So the world is my oyster on this one! There will be lots of Negan for those who love that sadistic character. If you love him, what the hell is wrong with you?**

**Here goes nothing. I hope you enjoy what I have to offer in TWD FanFiction universe. First time writing FanFiction. Again, here goes nothing!**

Chapter 1

Sherry gazed at the fire that Yolanda and Hannah made an hour ago. She huddled up to its warmth against the night air. After a long day of walking, she let herself become lost in the beauty of the flames. It allowed her time to think of life the way it was before. Before the dead walked the earth.

It had been six months since Sherry lost everything. She looked up from the fire to look at the others in her group. Each member had lost so much in so little time. Even with a small ounce of hope that things would return to normal, the item that Sherry missed the most was her phone. It was her one guarantee that her parents could call her when things started settling down to what it used to be like. She was unsure if that life would ever return.

The last time she spoke with her parents was on her phone. With herself moving to Athens, Georgia for school and her parents still living in Chicago, it made the possibility of seeing them ever again a near impossibility. She still remembered calling her parents when the call disconnected in mid-sentence. Sherry didn't get to even say goodbye to her mom.

She replayed the last conversation she had with her parents in her head as she continued to stare into the fire.

"_Sweetie. Everything will be fine. People are in a panic over here. We are heading to Grandma Malloy's house in Michigan. We think we will be safe there," her father, Vinny, said. "Once everything dies down, we will call you and come find you. Keep your phone battery charged. I heard that power is going out in a lot of places. I can't believe how fucked everything is right now."_

_Sherry looked around her as she watched everyone in the parking lot hurriedly put as many things as they could into their cars as she did the same. "Dad, I'll be fine. A couple of my friends and I are going to be camping outside of the bigger cities until everything clears up. We'll give it a couple of weeks and see how everything is doing. I'm sure by then there won't be a need to come find me." She closed the trunk of her car and started walking back to her college apartment._

"_Sher. I don't know how bad it is in Georgia. But people aren't themselves at home. Benny and I had to board up the Moritz' place because they went insane. They ate their dog for Christ sake, honey." He paused as Sherry thought about her neighbors in Chicago. The Moritz family had lived next door to them since they moved into that particular house when she was five._

"_They kept on making strange noises. We tried to call the hospital to get an ambulance for them but we couldn't reach them. They were busy. I had to keep your Mom safe. So we boarded their house up with the Moritz' still inside. Like animals," Vinny continued._

_Everything seemed to be very unsettling to Sherry. When disasters hit around the world before, it was always something that occurred at one particular place and to only one group of people. Whatever was occurring was happening worldwide and was something that was hitting too close to home for Sherry's taste. She remembered her class earlier that morning being very strange. More than half of her classmates were absent. The professor said that day that they all emailed complaining about a bad fever. It wasn't soon after that class was over that Sherry sat at her apartment eating her breakfast and received an email that all the other classes for the rest of the day were cancelled due to too many teachers calling in sick._

_Sherry remembered as she looked at the closed doors that belonged to her roommates. Earlier in that week, they started complaining about a fever. Sherry just left them alone as she hoped they would pull through. One by one, each of her three roommates fell prey to the sickness as she remained the only one to be unscathed. At the time, she didn't know how lucky she had been to not get whatever her roommates had and only wished that she wasn't the one who seemed up to camping in the woods._

"_Honey. This thing has me worried. Your mother and I are already in the car on our way to Marquette. I think everyone is having the same idea of leaving the city. We've been in the same spot for hours. Haven't we?" He asked._

_She heard a muffled reply that sounded distressed and concluded it was her mother in the driver's seat. Sherry usually didn't worry when it came to things. But when her dad was worried, it made her terrified. He was always the brave retired police officer. No one messed with her dad._

"_I have a bad feeling that this thing isn't going to be only a couple of weeks long, Sherry." He said solemnly. Sherry's heart dropped from his tone. One thing about her dad was his talent of observation and how it hardly ever failed him. For him to say such a thing meant it gave him good reason to say what he did. And he was hardly ever wrong when he made a prediction._

_Sherry walked into the apartment complex to see the entire scene in an uproar as everyone quickly tried to leave their homes or find things they could barricade themselves with as they waded everything out from inside. When Sherry reached her apartment door, she heard banging and scratching from the other side. Sherry put her phone between her shoulder and her cheek as she fumbled through her purse looking for her keys then wondered multiple things at once. She wondered why her roommates were out of their beds and why they were banging on the door the way they were. It seemed unnecessary to her out of all the things to do._

_Alarm rang through her head as another college girl put a hand between Sherry and the doorway. Sherry eyed her with annoyance as she reached for her phone with one hand. "Hang on one second, Dad," she said and then took the phone away from her ear and stared the girl down who blocked her from her room. _

"_What the hell are you doing?" She complained. "This is my room."_

"_Trust me," the girl explained with caution. "You don't want to open that door. My roommate had a fever this morning and I woke up to her biting my arm. They are doing the same thing to my door."_

"_I was just in there a couple of minutes ago," Sherry said warily as she didn't know what to think. While pondering what the girl revealed, Sherry glanced at the girl's arm that blocked her from getting into her apartment. It looked to be bandaged up but Sherry could see the bleeding that seeped through the gauze effortlessly. Just above her forearm, Sherry could see deadly purple veins that caused alarm. "You need to get that thing checked. It looks bad."_

"_I have tried to call emergency services but no one is picking up," The girl disclosed calmly. "Listen, I don't know who you are but I strongly believe that your roommates have the same disease mine has. Until a nurse checks on them, you're safer outside than inside."_

_The door continued to bang and scratch. Sherry looked into the eyes of the pleading girl in shock but then nodded his head in defeat. "Okay. I won't," she relented to let the girl know that she won the battle. "I'm just going to sit right here until I can think of a new game plan."_

_The girl looked relieved and rushed to help others. Sherry leaned against the wall next to her door and sank to the floor. With one hand on her forehead, she placed the phone back to her ear. "You said the Moritz' ate their dog?" She asked her dad._

"_Yeah. What's going on, Sher?" Vinny asked._

"_Some girl just told me that she woke up to her roommate eating her arm and then locked her in their apartment. She stopped me from walking into my door because there was banging and scratching on the other side." Sherry said in a hollow voice as her new reality started to sink in. Things were unraveling fast and she didn't know what the future held for her._

_She heard her father breathing slowly as he was thinking of a solution for her. "Baby doll, I need you to leave your apartment right now," he urged. "You are to get out of the city with or without your friends. But you are leaving right now."_

_Just then she heard screaming from the other side of the complex followed by an eerie and unusual snarling. Girls started running her direction as one even tripped over Sherry to run away. Sherry recovered from the blow quickly as she stood up to run out of the complex towards her car. Whatever last minute items that she needed to get from her apartment had to be abandoned. Adrenaline was telling her to run for her life. She heard multiple gut-wrenching screams from around the entire campus. Hell was starting to break loose._

"_Sweetheart. What is going on?" Her dad yelled multiple times._

"_Everyone is in a panic! I don't know what's happening!" Sherry shouted into the phone as she reached her car and unlocked the door. When she opened it, someone lightly grabbed her shoulder as she screamed in a fright from the sudden touch. She didn't know who to trust as she fought to get away from everyone by any means necessary._

_She whipped around to see two men whom she recognized from a mutual class that they took together. She knew that they were both Japanese and that their English was limited but currently stood before her with panic on their faces._

"_Take us to the airport?" The shorter one nearly begged._

"_Yeah," Sherry obliged in a fluster as she could hear her dad shouting expletives while still on the line. "But I'm leaving right now! We can't get your things, I'm sorry."_

"_We have what we need," the taller one affirmed. "We can go now."_

"_Good. Hop in," she exclaimed as she jumped in the driver's seat and turned on the ignition. Both of the men sat in the back while she put her dad on speaker._

"_What the fuck is going on?!" He shouted as his voice broke with emotion._

"_I'm fine," Sherry stressed as she rushed out of the driveway. Cars were already blocking the exit so she went over the curb to beat the traffic. "We just got in the car."_

"_Who's _we_?" His broken voice questioned with some authority as Sherry knew he hated having no control with what was happening with his only daughter. She could tell he was crying out of fear that minutes before Sherry was possibly dead from her not responding immediately._

"_Two guys that are in one of my classes," Sherry made clear. "They are from Japan and just asked me to take them to the airport so they can get back home." Sherry guessed but knew it was a good assumption._

"_Sweetie," Vinny said slowly. "Airplanes have been grounded. All airports are closed."_

_The men who were quietly talking in Japanese with each other stopped when they overheard her dad say the dreadful news. They looked to each other in horror as their destination was unachievable and hopeless to pursue._

"_Sher, we need to preserve our phone batteries," Vinny said in quiet and muffled voice. "I'm going to hand the phone to your mother so you get the chance to say goodbye."_

_Sherry swerved the car because of a bloodied body that laid in the middle of the road. She couldn't believe the sights around her as she drove. She could see houses on fire, raids, and insane people chasing down others in a slow hobble. The sights around her were bizarre and not like the world she used to know. Everything was quickly changing and she didn't know if she was ready for the changes whether they were permanent fixtures or temporary setbacks._

_On top of that, her dad sounded as if it would be the last time that she ever spoke to him. It was a voice filled with grief and misery. It tugged at her heart strings as she continued to drive amidst the chaos. "Okay….um…" Sherry silently shed tears almost knowing that it was going to be the last time she ever heard his voice. "I love you, Dad. I'll see you in two weeks tops, k?"_

_There was a long pause. She could hear her father weeping while trying to collect himself. Sherry couldn't recall ever hearing him cry openly like that before. "I love you too, Sher," he cried. "You will always be my everything. You are the most important person in the world to me. Please be safe. No matter how long this thing lasts, you stay safe."_

_Sherry openly wept not caring for what the men in the back of her car thought. She heard mumbling as the phone was being passed to her mom. "Sher, honey. It's your Momma!" She heard her mom, Annie, say._

_The tears kept on pouring as she tried concentrating on the road. "Mom!" She sobbed. "You'll be safe. You are going to make it to Grandma Malloy's house and be okay. As long as you are far away from the city, you will be fine. You have Dad." Sherry added the last part to try and sound hopeful._

"_But what about my little girl?" Annie asked with heartbreak. "It's killing me that I'm not going to know where you are or if you are still alive!" Her mother sobbed loudly letting all of her emotions take over. Sherry did the same._

"_I'll be okay," Sherry said comfortingly. "I can survive all of this. Dad taught me what I needed to know."_

_There was complete silence on the other line. She knew her mother just wanted to hear words of reassurance so she decided to continue. "We are going to head towards the outskirts of town and wade everything out. We'll stay away from other people and keep low until we hear good news."_

_There was still no sound. Not even a weep. Sherry then looked at the screen then cried in anguish as it read, "Service lost. Phone call disconnected."_

Sherry blinked back tears and looked away from the fire. She didn't want to replay that memory in her head anymore. Yet she thought of it often. She wondered if she would ever see her parents again.

Takuya and Haruki were still alive as she looked at them sleeping next to a tree. In the six months of being together, their English became better and they became good acquaintances as they fought to keep each other alive.

Their group numbers grew quickly as more survivors stuck with them along the way. It only took the first month for their group to reach fourteen members as they fought day and night to keep everyone safe. They had lost two people already from a herd. Sherry hoped their numbers didn't continue to dwindle.

All of her group members were sleeping soundly except for Dwight who stood watch as he looked around the forest with caution. Sherry looked to him as he sat on a log taking first watch over everyone as they rested after a long day of walking. It had been awhile since she spoke with him. Out of all the group members, she grew to be closer to him. But when something wrong happened in the group and it seemed life was more perilous than the day before, she felt herself pull away for fear that she could lose what she considered to be her closest friend. Sherry hoped that if she created distance between them, it would make it less difficult if she were to one day lose him to the new world.

Dwight scanned the forest as Sherry watched his eyes rest on her. He quickly looked away while embarrassed to be caught staring at her and then went back to business. Sherry sighed in resignation as she knew she wouldn't be able to rest on the forest floor that night. She stood up and walked away from the fire and towards Dwight.

Dwight turned to look at her quizzically as she started towards him. "Can't sleep?" He asked.

"Do you blame me?" Sherry countered back. "I pray that we find a hotel that isn't overrun by walkers so I can finally sleep on a mattress."

"And before the world went to shit, I was praying that the pizza delivery guy would come on time," Dwight teased as he smirked at his little joke.

"Funny how our priorities change when we don't have the little things to worry about," she stated.

Dwight looked to her with a small smile as Sherry felt it was a bad idea to talk to him in the first place. She did feel an overwhelming attraction towards him and knew that if something were to happen to him, she wouldn't take it well. Dwight was one of the best people that she had ever known. He was able to cope with their new life in a way that she didn't see anyone else could. He was the reason a lot of members in their group merged forward and fought to live another day. The problem was that she knew he had deep feelings for her too. That fact messed with Sherry's plan of avoiding people to make life easier.

"You've been avoiding me for a while," Dwight commented. His statement held a small sense of understanding but it made Sherry feel guilty all the same.

"Sorry," Sherry confessed and put her hands on her lap as she interlaced her fingers together while knowing that she was guilty. "I've just been thinking about a lot of stuff. I think the reality has finally sunk in."

"Which part of our reality?" Dwight asked.

"_Everything_," Sherry exaggerated.

"Hey," Dwight started with his usual soothing voice. "If you ever need to talk, I'm a good listener."

"I don't know if that will help," Sherry admitted. The more she spoke to him, the more she felt her bubble of isolation begin to pop.

He looked at the sleeping group and then scanned the forest in thought. One thing about Dwight is that he made others problems become his own personal obstacle. He liked to fix things for people around him. Sherry thought it a good trait but sometimes she wanted to wallow in her own self-pity. "For the sake of small talk, tell me about yourself," Dwight offered lightly.

She grimaced at the invitation. "It's been a long day," she started. "I don't really want to go down memory lane right now."

Dwight looked at her and grinned while adjusting himself on the log to sit more comfortably. "How about this? I ask you a question and you give me a one word answer. That way it's just facts. Not that emotional stuff. How does that sound?" He suggested.

Sherry sighed and walked away. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the sliver of disappointment from Dwight as he thought their conversation was over completely. Instead, she walked over to where her things were and grabbed her shotgun. She went back to the log and started to scout the shrubbery before her. "It sounds a lot better than sleeping," Sherry admitted.

He smiled triumphantly as he pursed his lips together. "Okay then. Where are you from?" Dwight inquired as she realized that despite him being her closest friend, they never spoke much about her past life; for good reason. "You don't sound like a Southern Belle. So I can conclude you didn't grow up in Georgia."

"What are you? A detective?" Sherry teased. She started to feel a melancholy as the fun game felt like a bad idea. It was bringing up too many memories of her normal life before. The same memories that were almost painful to think of. "Chicago," she reluctantly answered.

"Did you live there your whole life?" Dwight questioned further.

"No," Sherry replied.

"Where else have you lived?" Dwight asked.

She made a swivel motion with her hand that gestured around them. "Wherever we are right now," Sherry tried to stifle a laugh at her own sense of humor that seemed to have been dormant for six months.

Dwight laughed at the sudden funny bone that Sherry had. "Smart ass," he commented but then continued with his questioning. "Okay, if you could describe something that you find attractive in a guy in just one word, what word would that be?"

Sherry's eyes narrowed as she stared at Dwight. He had a sheepish smile on his face as he waited for an answer. "Dwight…" she started.

"Just answer the question. I'm not asking on behalf of myself… I'm asking for a friend…" Dwight said as he tried to think of an excuse.

"Yeah, okay," Sherry said while still unconvinced but smiled in spite of herself. She sighed and looked to him. "I like guys with beards, I guess." Sherry immediately regretted saying the first thing that came to her head as Dwight's eyebrows raised with a boyish grin emerging past his own light beard that he sported on his face.

"You like 'em bearded, eh?" Dwight exclaimed with a wink. "Man, you must feel like you're in heaven talking to someone like me right now."

Sherry laughed openly as she thought it was the first time that she heard herself be happy in a long time. "Yeah, that's exactly how I would describe my predicament."

"Were you always this beautiful?" She then heard him ask in passing. It was slightly quieter as if he wasn't sure if he should say it but it took over his entire thought process regardless.

Her laughing stopped quickly as she looked surprised by his boldness. She turned to see if anyone else heard but they were still sound asleep. Sherry wished that she didn't have her long dark brown hair in a ponytail at that moment as she wanted to hide behind it. It would be better if she could find a large boulder and crawl underneath it. She was thankful for it being nighttime to disguise how red her face was getting. It still didn't go past Dwight, however.

"Did I embarrass you?" He asked after an awkward amount of silence passed by.

"No," Sherry lied. "I just haven't really thought of myself attractive since everything happened."

Dwight looked confused by her statement as if he couldn't fathom anyone thinking she was anything less than beautiful. "Why?" He asked.

"Oh, because it's been months since I wore lipstick or a nice black dress. You know, the girly stuff," She replied.

"You don't need those things, Sher," Dwight encouraged. "You are just as attractive with combat boots and a shotgun."

Sherry smiled. "Well, thanks," she responded and knew that he meant every word. It still only filled her with a sadness that she knew she forcefully burdened herself with. "On that note, I think I am going to try and sleep."

"You're done playing games with me?" Dwight asked as she started walking away. He was talking about their one-word answer game but Sherry could sense an underlying statement as he referred to her feigning indifference in regards to him.

"I was about to ask you the same question, Dwight," Sherry stated. "You may have a beard and yes, I'll admit, I think you are attractive. I just think I have a rule against dating. So as nice as the flirtations are, it's making it really hard to stay just friends."

"If it's that difficult to stay friends, then why don't we at least try to be something more? What can it hurt?" Dwight asked sincerely as he wore a small smile.

Sherry was slightly annoyed that he looked to be entertained by their conversation when she was only trying to create more distance. "I don't know if we _can_ be more than friends," she said apologetically.

His smile immediately turned into a frown. "Why not?" He asked.

"Until I know how to deal with our new reality, I don't really want to become attached to someone who could be dead tomorrow," Sherry said as she looked desperately in his dark eyes to get him to understand. There was a silence between them as Dwight met her gaze but slowly stood up and walked up to her. Sherry wanted to walk away and ignore their conversation; ignore him. However, she didn't turn away and just let him walk to her.

He stood in front of her and glanced down at her face. Sherry wasn't the tallest person in the world standing at five foot three inches but guessed Dwight had to be more than a foot taller than her. "Well, with that logic, you just said that life is short. Don't you want to enjoy it as much as you can?" He asked boldly as the declaration of his affections was all laid out on the table for her to see.

Sherry thought about it. It had been a long time since she considered her life enjoyable; only because she kept her distance away from the group. The rest of the group formed bonds with each other and invited her to do the same. She only wished to contribute in any way that she could and keep them safe. Her emotional attachments were kept to a minimum. However, it still didn't keep the sadness away when a member of their group died unexpectedly.

Sherry gazed at Dwight as he continued to look at her with hope. She was about to say something that perhaps she could try and make more of an effort to enjoy her life as he suggested. Maybe she _could_ take a chance on Dwight. She knew that he could make her happy. But the thought of him being a big part of her life, only to be taken away without a head's up, scared her. She then realized that he _already_ was an integral person in her life. As if giving into what she really wanted, she moved closer to him in resignation but her heart felt elated from the personal victory. Then she stopped as she heard something faintly in the distance.

She thought maybe she was hearing things but saw Dwight was on high alert as well and no longer looked to Sherry but to the woods instead. They both raised their guns towards the darkness where they heard the noise. As they waited for something else to happen, Sherry had a terrible feeling that whatever was hiding in the shadows, wasn't a walker. A walker would emerge upon them without thinking of strategies to corner them. Whatever it was, was something lethal. Another noise sounded directly behind them. To their surprise, they both turned to see a man. He was alive and looked well. He put both of his hands up in surrender and to show that he meant no harm. Dwight looked to Sherry as they both put their guns down in unison. Sherry still held her gun tightly while she eyed the man before them. Dwight then motioned for the man to come sit on the log with him. The man graciously complied and rubbed his hands together while taking advantage of their warm fire.

This was one of the first times that they had run into another living human being in almost a month. Other survivors were rare…and dangerous. They were fortunate to never run into men that were necessarily power hungry and greedy. But something about this man gave Sherry the chills. He almost was as tall as Dwight and Sherry couldn't help but find him slightly handsome. Although her gun wasn't raised, her guard wasn't down. In fact, she wondered why she felt so uneasy about their new guest. Something about the man's presence was incredibly off-putting.

Sherry opened up a can of soup for the man who sat on the log next to the fire with Dwight. She could feel his eyes on her. Maybe that's why she felt nervous. Perhaps he was harmless but she still was anticipating more information about him only to read him better. Not knowing someone made her anxious.

"What's your name?" Dwight asked.

The man smiled at Dwight. "It's nice to talk to people again," the man said. Sherry noticed how he avoided the question with a comment.

Dwight smiled and stuck his hand out as the man shook it. "You been alone long?" Dwight inquired.

"A very long time. I saw your bonfire and decided to make myself known," the man explained then looked at Sherry. "I apologize for scaring you, ma'am."

Sherry smiled politely in his direction and poured the can of soup in a pot that sat beside the fire. The man appeared kind but Sherry couldn't shake the feeling in the pit of her stomach. She wanted to run for the hills. "You didn't," She practically challenged to counter the fear she felt in that moment.

He smiled and it revealed his deep dimples from underneath his five o'clock shadow. "What's your name, sweetheart?" He questioned in a deep voice.

"Sherry," she responded in a short voice. "I don't remember you saying your name though."

He looked down at his hands and turned to Dwight as if she didn't say anything. "How many people do you have here?" He asked him.

"We have twelve people," Dwight answered but looked to Sherry as he was picking up on her apprehension. "We have just been travelling from place to place since the outbreak began. Just trying to find the right spot to settle down." Dwight seemed less friendly to the stranger as Negan looked back to Sherry with a look that seemed hungry.

"Can I join your group?" Negan asked.

Sherry looked up from tending to the soup and stared at him. "We don't know who you are," she stated as sternly as she could. "We need to know more about you. Otherwise you can start walking in the other direction, sir."

The man looked at Sherry with amazement. "Tell it like it is, don't you?" He asked.

"We have a decent amount of people in our group. But that doesn't mean that we have been without trouble in the past six months," she warned. "I would like to know that you are the right fit for this group before we let you in."

He stood up and moved closer to her as she remained tall to meet his questioning gaze. Dwight stood up as well on full alert as the man almost stood nose to nose with Sherry while avoiding any sense of personal space. "You in charge?" The man taunted.

Sherry looked to Dwight and noticed his finger was on the trigger. "We all contribute," Dwight said in a calm voice as the air was quickly escalating into dangerous grounds. "No one is in charge."

The man put his hands up in surrender again and let out a chuckle. "Your group is awfully skittish."

Sherry made sure not to break eye contact with the man. "How many people are with you?" She finally asked.

He looked baffled by her question and almost guffawed at her accusation. She continued, "There were two noises before you entered our camp. They came from opposite directions. How many men do you have with you?"

The next moments almost felt like slow motion. The man grabbed Sherry's middle and turned her around. She tried to point her gun at him but felt a sharp object at her throat.

"Sherry!" Dwight yelled as the people in their group started waking up from the noise. Instantly worried cries came from the three children as their parents immediately tried to silence them while they themselves felt helpless.

"Drop your fucking weapon, sweetheart. I have the upper hand so don't be stupid." The man said as Sherry could feel his lips on her ear. She tried to squirm away while being repulsed at how close he was. The knife would settle in more on her neck when she moved so she learned to hold still as much as possible despite every fiber in her being telling her to try and get away.

Men quickly started emerging out of the forest and poking their guns at the group as they sat on the ground. Dwight held his gun and aimed it at the man. Dozens of men aimed their guns at him but he stood tall regardless. Sherry kept her gun in her hands. It was her source of safety and she clung to her shotgun.

The man kept one arm around her waist while his other hand held the knife to her neck. "Your friend is right. You are a fucking beautiful woman. I really would hate for you to go out. That would be a fucking waste with a body like this," He commented as his fingers dug into her middle. She inhaled sharply as he shushed her to be quiet. "If you put your gun down, I'll spare your life. And please don't fucking doubt me, miss. You wouldn't be the first woman that I had to put down because she was being too goddamn stupid."

Sherry kept a death grip on her shotgun as she breathed sharply thinking it could be possibly be her time to go. She looked at Dwight as he only had his sights on the man. If the man killed Sherry, Dwight would kill the man before her body even fell to the floor. Worry started to swarm over her as she realized that a moment such as this was bigger than herself. Her decision to keep the gun affected more than just her.

Almost as if the man read her mind, he looked to all of her group members as they stared back at him in horror. "Okay, obviously you don't value your life as much as I thought you did." The man started as he began chanting "Eenie Meanie Miney Moe" to himself. Sherry started worrying what psychotic game he was playing at then realized that he was choosing someone else to intimidate for the sake of showing his power.

"…And….you…are…it." He proclaimed. With his hand that held the knife he pointed with his index finger towards Hannah. "What about her life?" He inquired. Hannah was almost the matriarch of their group. An older woman, she made sure that everyone was fed and got enough sleep. She was close to everyone in their group and Sherry almost felt a knife twist thinking her life could end that very night.

Sherry immediately threw the shotgun as it landed to the side. The man threw her onto the ground as she landed on her knees. He thrust his foot onto her back and forced her to lay on her stomach. Sherry saw Dwight try and step forward only to be blocked by several men. He stopped unsure of what to do next and hoped for an outcome where Sherry didn't have to suffer.

The man motioned to Hannah and then glanced towards his men. "Kill her," he said simply.

"No!" Sherry yelled. "I put my gun down! You can't!"

The man grabbed her by the hair and started to pull her up. She screamed in pain as he forced her to her knees once more but never letting go of her hair. He crouched down as his mouth was to her ear again. Tears started streaming down Sherry's face as the peril of their situation seemed less likely to have a good resolution.

"You guys are coming with us," the man spat in a forced whisper. He stood up straight and surveyed the rest of the group. All of which were now on their knees besides Dwight. Hannah was sobbing uncontrollably as everyone else looked to her with helplessness.

"You are _all_ coming with us," the man continued. "Sherry isn't your leader anymore. I am! Sherry also made a mistake. She didn't do as I asked the first time I asked her to do it." He walked over to Hannah who was shutting her eyes and silently muttering to herself in prayer. "So… On behalf of your old leader, I apologize, ma'am." He said as he put a knife to her throat. In seconds, he lodged the knife into her neck as blood spewed everywhere. Sherry looked away to the rest of her group. The small McCoy family that consisted of two boys and their parents, huddled together as their mom tried to cover both of her son's eyes from the traumatic sight in front of them. The young girl named Jenna screamed as her adopted mother, Yolanda, hugged her close. The older man named Dean looked on in shock as he watched his dear friend perish.

Hannah fell to the forest floor dead. Sherry could hear the others in her group screaming as everything started to sound far away in the distance. In her anger, Sherry impulsively stood on her feet and stormed towards the man. She slapped him across the face as hard as she could and then pushed at his chest with all the adrenaline that was surging through her body.

Then something hit the back of her head. Her eyes started seeing black as scenes played out in flashes. She saw the man grab for her before she fell to the ground. She could see the trees above her and the feeling of floating started to kick in. The screaming continued with an echo as they slowly started to fade away. The last thing she heard was Dwight call her name one more time. And then she passed out.

…

Sherry immediately started to cry when she woke up. She hoped that whatever hit her on the back of the head was fatal. She felt responsible for Hannah's death and didn't wish to live with herself anymore. _Why couldn't I just listen to the guy? _She refused to open her eyes and just laid there in fetal position as she wept uncontrollably.

She became aware of her surroundings before she even opened her eyes. Underneath her body, she felt a nice cushiony mattress. She opened her eyes and was amazed that she was in a bedroom. Her prediction was right as she was laying on a cozy bed. The room that she was in made her second guess where she was. She even wondered if she was no longer alive and was in a paradisiacal afterlife.

Her dreams fell to reality as she felt behind her head and noticed it was bandaged. The questions continued to swarm around her as she looked around the bedroom. Did her group escape the men that violated their bonfire that horrid night? Did Dwight carry her to safety and satisfy her dream of finding a hotel with a cozy mattress? Something seemed out of place even more so when Sherry noticed that the room had electricity. There was a light on the ceiling that was lit. It made her hopeful that they finally found a safe zone. She allowed herself to stay in the bed and think about her next move. She felt somewhat safe for the first time; or at least she admitted in falling for the illusion of safety. Regardless of the outcome, she decided to enjoy this time of peace whether it was a farce or not.

As the illusion started wearing off and the worry of where she was started to seep in, the door opened. She looked to see Dwight who walked in warily. She immediately could sense something was off as he avoided eye contact. Regardless, she stood and rushed towards him with a hug. More caution flags arose when she noticed Dwight didn't immediately hug her back. Something was incredibly off about his countenance. He practically had to hold her up as the energy she felt previously wore off quickly. She felt incredibly weak.

"Where are we?" She asked as she broke away from him.

Sherry noticed his crossbow that he held with one arm. A couple of months ago, he had to leave his crossbow behind when a herd of walkers came upon their group suddenly. There wasn't any time for getting their personal belongings. That's where Sherry had lost her phone and cried herself to sleep for weeks. It was her only assurance that she would have been able to contact her parents one day. Or that _they_ would be able to contact_ her_. Now she wasn't sure how or if there would ever be an opportunity to do so.

"We're in a place that everyone calls Sanctuary," Dwight said in a low voice. "You've been out for nearly two days."

"Two days?" She groaned. She looked down and saw what she was wearing. A black tank top and spandex biker shorts. Two items she had never possessed before.

Dwight noticed her questioning stare and clarified. "It was all I could find that looked comfortable to sleep in," he told.

Her eyes looked confused as she tried to put everything he said together. "Sanctuary? Is this a safe zone? Who dressed me?" She asked.

Dwight straightened defensively. "Yolanda dressed you. I wouldn't touch you like that," he said suddenly to assure her that he honored her self-respect. He then took a deep breath and looked at with exhaustion evident on his face. "Sher, what I'm about to tell you… You just need to know I didn't have a choice."

"Whose camp is this?" She asked.

"Sanctuary belongs to the man that came to our group the other night," Dwight began as he sat on her bed. He slung his crossbow to his back as he rubbed both hands to his forehead. "They dragged us all back to their base."

Sherry awkwardly made her way to the window in the bedroom. She pushed apart the drapes and opened the blinds. The bedroom was on the second floor of an older brick building. Outside looked to be cleaned up fairly well and rid of any signs of a dystopian world.

"Where is everyone?" She asked as she started walking to the door. Dwight quickly got up from the bed and stood in front of the doorway.

"Sherry, I'm sorry. You can't leave this room. That was his orders," Dwight said quietly with shame.

"Dwight, what the hell is wrong with you? We can't stay here with these people." Sherry said desperately.

"We don't have any other choice!" Dwight said with helplessness. He put both of his hands on her shoulders and stared into her eyes. She held onto his forearms to steady herself. Her head felt light.

"Negan wants to talk to you," Dwight lamented and looked to the floor.

"Negan?" Sherry asked. "The man who killed Hannah? Dwight, I don't understand what is happening right now. Why are you listening to anything that man has to say?"

"Sherry! If you knew all of the details, you would have done everything he asked you to do as well. I'm trying to keep everyone safe." His fingers tensed as she saw him trying to get her to understand where he was coming from.

"What does he want from us? Our group has nothing to give him." She asked fearfully.

"It's not that easy to tell you," Dwight said with a melancholy that she never heard from him before. He looked down to the floor ashamed.

Seconds passed as he stared up to her again with longing. "One day, I promise to make things better for you, Sherry. I promise," Dwight vowed. "We're in a fucked up situation right now."

"Dwight?" She whispered with her voice shaking. She reached her hand up to the side of his face as she saw how tormented he was at the news he was forced to tell her. Whatever the news was, it affected her but also him in return. "Please tell me what that man wants from me."

"He wants you," Dwight revealed in a tone that sounded completely deflated and depressed. "He said that if you don't comply with his every request, he will kill the group. Every one of us. He also said…he also said that he'll save you and you would have to do what he said anyways. If I knew a way around this, I would try and get you out of it. I am so sorry."

Sherry started walking backwards and shook her head. Dwight stood in place as he watched her walk to the window once more in complete shock from the news. "Like what kind of things do I have to do?" She asked already knowing the answer. She paced the bedroom while Dwight watched her intently. Sherry chewed on her bottom lip and thought to herself. Minutes later she looked up to Dwight.

"Where are our people now?" She asked him.

"They are in another part of the building. He is holding them in a small room until you reach a decision."

"And if I said no, he was going to kill them just like that?" She asked knowing the difficult decision that she already came to. "Why aren't you with them?" She asked.

"Negan thought it appropriate for me to give you the message before he talked to you himself," Dwight said with slight anger at his own situation. "He's a messed up motherfucker."

"No chance of escape?" She asked.

"Sher, Negan has hundreds of men out there. I would say the odds of escape are very slim," he said while breaking the news with honesty.

"Shit," Sherry whispered. "I can't believe this is happening to me." She sat on her bed as Dwight sat down beside her. Minutes passed as she thought of her circumstance. Their lives were not short of despair since the virus took over the world. But this seemed to top all of the tragedies that ensued in six months' time. She thought of all the members of her group. Among them were three young children. Even the ones that were not children were good people. They were innocent of the evils of the new world. They didn't deserve to die because she decided against being Negan's little tramp. Regardless of her answer, she would still reach the same outcome. Except without her group if she put up a fight. There would be blood on her hands. "There really isn't another way out of this," she said quietly.

Dwight looked at her and she looked at him. "I'm sorry. At least not yet," he replied with some hope in his voice. If there was a way to get out of her gruesome future, he would try and find it. Sherry knew Dwight.

She lifted her face up and wiped at the tears on her cheeks. "I'll do it," she stated bravely.

Dwight put one arm around her in comfort as she sank into his embrace. He kissed her forehead tenderly. "I wish I could have provided for you, Sherry. I wish this was a better world for us to live in," he said coarsely as if trying to hide some emotion on his part.

She looked at him and put her face close to his in much needed comfort. He instantly closed the distance between them and kissed her on the lips. Sherry was surprised at first but became immediately soothed by the act and returned the gesture. He put his arms around her waist as more tears erupted from her eyes in complete and utter sorrow. She remembered him saying that life was too short. Now she understood and wished she had taken the opportunity to be more than friends with him sooner. She didn't know when she was ever going to receive another tender human interaction like the one she was sharing at that time. She savored in the moment thinking it was going to be one of the last sweet moments of her life. The kiss slowed as he broke away but still held the small of her back with his hand.

"I wish it didn't have to be this way," he said regretfully.

"You and I both, Dwight," Sherry responded wholeheartedly.

The door opened as Dwight quickly put distance between themselves as if their interaction didn't happen. A man emerged from the doorway whom she didn't recognize and stared at Dwight. "Orlich, you're needed elsewhere," he ordered sternly as if it weren't up for discussion.

Dwight looked at her once more and stared back at the man with hidden indignation. "Do what you gotta do, Sher," he said to her and left.

…

Sherry stayed in the room on her bed until the sun went down. Her head ached with too many thoughts running through her mind and the injury that she sustained days earlier. As much as she wanted a way out of her situation, she couldn't think of one.

Sherry was always the de facto leader and protector of the group along with Dwight. Her quick decision making and thinking led her group to safety more than once. _I never let my people down before, _she thought to herself.

_Six months maximum. His guard will be down and our people will go free. I'll slit his throat in the middle of the night like he slit Hannah's. Eye for an eye. _Sherry felt guilty for relishing in someone's death. But this wasn't a normal man. He was a murderer. Negan—as Dwight called him—was a killer. Already she could tell he reveled in showing off his power to the ones who couldn't physically stop him. _One day._

She wanted to do what she could to keep her people safe. She had nothing else to live for except to keep those guiltless people from the maniac's claws. It wasn't just an obligation that drove her to saving their lives. She knew it was something that her father would have done for anyone in need. Since the world went to shit, she strived to be what her father would have been proud of. As heartbreaking as the crisis was that befell her, she knew her dad would see her reasons as being honorable.

She heard someone walking towards the bedroom from the hallway. She stood and opened the door. Sherry saw Negan about to knock the door that was no longer there. He smiled at the humor in the situation but it made Sherry want to puke. She gave him a small smile to not give him that impression.

He walked slowly into the room and eyed every part of her body. She folded her arms over her middle in response. It made it more troubling to herself knowing that physically, he was easy on the eyes. But the actions he partook of a couple of nights before tainted her view of him.

"Dwight tells me that you came to a decision," Negan said to her.

"I did. But I would like to know whatever you want me to do," Sherry said naïvely. "Whatever it is, I agree to it. I don't really have a choice. But I still would like to know."

Negan looked around the room and chuckled. He then nodded towards the bed and sat down. She followed him slowly and sat several feet away. He scooted closer and greatly minimized the distance between them as he stroked her hair that rested on her back. Shivers crept on her spine and her body tensed as she dreaded what he was about to say. "This is a fucking proposal, ma'am," Negan exclaimed proudly. "Congratu-fuckin-lations! You are to become Mrs. Negan. Just do everything I say and your group will be safe and stay here in Sanctuary. They will have to pull their own weight. If they don't, my rules will override whatever deal we have between us. The men will be armed and trained to be in my army. The women will do laundry and other shit that women do to make our jobs easier. I'm sorry I am not down on one knee to make this fucking more romantic but I personally don't give a fuck about that shit." He clapped his hands together to indicate that he finished what he needed to say.

"You want me to be your wife?" Sherry asked quietly as she looked in his eyes.

"Yes ma'am. Look at you," he said as if it answered all of her questions then winked at her fondly. "I can't wait for our time together."

Sherry closed her eyes and bowed her head. She despised the man that sat next to her. She didn't know anyone that could be so blatantly cruel. He had all the control in their situation and he didn't treat it with any respect or remorse. It was filled with mockery towards her position and where they stood.

As if he read her thoughts he took both of her hands in his and rested them on his chest. "Sherry. If you love me and take care of me, I will treat you like a queen. That's all I ask." He raised one of her hands to his face as the sincerity of his words was evident by his demeanor.

Sherry couldn't help but lean away from him as she tried to no longer think of her situation. She had already made up her mind and needed to move on before she considered slitting her wrists. "Okay," she said.

Negan put his hands on both sides of her jaw and kissed her quickly and fiercely. She didn't expect the passion that came from behind the kiss or the kiss at all. In comparison to the sweet kiss that Dwight had given her that very day, it didn't hold the same weight to her. It made her hate Negan all the more.

"I need to see my group. I need to know that they are okay," Sherry blurted while breaking their kiss off.

Negan nodded and opened the door. "After you," he invited as he waited for her to step out of the room. Sherry did so with trepidation and almost as if the door represented her new life. Crossing into the unknown scared the living daylights out of her. She didn't know what the future held for her or the people that she cared about. She could only hope for the best.


	2. Chapter 2

**AUTHOR'S NOTE – I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of my fanfiction. I feel so pumped about it that I can't stop writing! Yay!**

Chapter 2

Negan and Sherry walked next to each other through a hallway that seemed endless. Sherry assumed that the building they were inside used to be a court house. They passed forgotten signs that suggested business of jury duty, marriage licenses, and the DMV. Sherry missed the petty and trivial things of the life before. She would have gladly spent hours in jury duty than be where she was at that moment.

Sherry would look at Negan every so often and see a wide smile on his face like he woke up on Christmas Day. Every so often, he would look down at her and wink. Visibly disgusted, Sherry would look the other direction repulsed that she was conned into such an agreement as to be his wife. The thought mortified her. Already being so close to him made her feel suffocated and she felt as if she sold her soul for the sake of her group members. She didn't want to be anywhere near him.

_Oh God, _she thought to herself. _Keep me strong. _Coming from a strong Irish-Italian family, she prayed often in the beginning of the apocalypse. She couldn't necessarily know if prayers helped her outcome or not but she continued to do so in case it did improve her odds and she just didn't know it yet. She could openly say that it was blind faith but she still prayed and would continue to until proven that it was a waste of time.

After the maze of hallways, they made their way to a door that Negan opened for her. She looked down to see that it led to a cellar-like basement that was darkly lit and appeared somewhat creepy. Any horror movie that Sherry watched before gave her all the reason in the world to avoid going down the steps. But she faintly heard a cough from below and could tell it was Dean. Knowing her group was down there, she stepped down the stairs with her heart racing. She hoped that they were all in good condition.

When she reached the bottom floor, she saw her group in the center of the room as they all huddled together while guarded by five men. They were all cuffed with their hands behind their back. The group appeared terrified after the incident with Hannah but as Sherry got a closer look, she saw blood on the floor. Dwight sat in the front of the group besides Jason who looked like he had gotten in a fight. Sherry then looked to Jason's children and wife as they had fresh tears in their eyes. Horrified that Jason had been beaten up in front of his family, she immediately glared at Negan who stood behind her.

"You let this happen to him?" Sherry asked appalled as she looked back to Jason.

"Sherry…" Negan started.

"No! We had a deal! I agreed to your plan as long as no harm would come to my group! How do I know that your word means anything of value?" Sherry spat as she went toe to toe with him and arched her neck to meet his dark eyes.

Negan scoffed at her boldness but smiled regardless. "We only made the agreement five minutes ago. Now that it's set in stone, no harm will come to them," he said calmly.

She breathed in and out slowly while trying to keep her temper under control. Sherry looked to her group and saw Dean gaze at her with worry. She could tell he was silently telling her to step down and let Negan with the fight. She took several more exhales before she finally relaxed herself. "Fine," she muttered and stepped away from Negan.

With the grin still on his face, he leaned down to whisper in her ear. "But if you ever raise your voice to me like that again, you are going to be the one to pay. I fucking promise you that," Negan stated in a tone that made Sherry's blood run cold.

The group watched their interaction together as Sherry couldn't stare at them back. She heard Negan go over the simple guidelines of their community as she tried to focus on what he was saying but couldn't hear over the thoughts that went on in her head. She wished that she asked him about what being his wife entailed and that there was some fine print that she could look at. However, she didn't have a say in the matter and instead could feel her ears get hotter and hotter the angrier that she got.

Negan discussed that they would have their own homes in Sanctuary but if they chose to bunk with each other accordingly that they could. Jason and Terri's family wanted to live in one home but live next door to everyone else. Haruki and Takuya were to stay in one house and the rest decided to share. Negan may have thought their choice to live together was being hospitable to the Saviors but Sherry knew that they were only bunking together for their own safety. They didn't trust his people enough to be scattered about.

"What about Sherry? Will she live with us?" Dean inquired. Sherry had felt sorry for Dean as he was the closest to Hannah. The group was even rooting for them to enter a deeper relationship. There was so much sadness in the world that it was nice to see them find happiness with each other.

"Sherry is not your concern anymore," Negan replied as he gently reached for her waist. Sherry was surprised by the gesture but didn't fight it. It seemed harmless enough even though his character still scared her to death. "Sherry is going to live with me."

Sherry waited as the bombshell finally clicked with some members of her group. They stared at both of them in disbelief and wondered what had possessed Sherry to agree to that arrangement. The only person that didn't stare at them was Dwight as he kept his head down in frustration.

"All of you will be given jobs. The kids will go to school with the other kids that we have in our community. You will all be valuable members of the Saviors. In exchange for your safety from the world outside of our gates," Negan announced as if they had won the lottery ticket. If the leader wasn't a crazed psychopath, Sherry would have thought that they hit the jackpot.

"Are we prisoners?" Jason asked. He was lucky in Sherry's eyes. His wife, Terri, and their sons, Teegan and Troy, were among their little group. Sherry had ached for what they had. Even though they had lost half of their child, their family was still more complete than Sherry's was.

Negan grinned maniacally as he stared at Jason. "What gave you that impression?" He asked as he looked back up to Jason.

"Sir, you don't leave much of any other option," Jason told. "What if I said that my family and I wish to take our chances out there? I feel like we would be stopped within miles of this place and brought back here or worse."

"Then I guess you shouldn't take that chance then," Negan said with a straight face. There was a mixture of humor in his eyes but also a sliver of something else that made Sherry's stomach twist into knots. She also saw some hostility.

Jason glanced at his wife with an apologetic yet hopeful smile. She returned it but knew their situation seemed pretty dismal. Negan gave them the rest of the protocol then signaled for the guards to remove the handcuffs. Sherry watched as they were all ushered up the stairs as Negan and Sherry followed behind them in silence.

They all made it out to the courtyard as Sherry finally breathed in some fresh air for the first time since she had been in what they called "Sanctuary." Sherry looked around her and saw that everything was fairly clean in their modest hold up. It almost looked like how it did before the apocalypse with the exception of various gardens in the area. She peered to the left and saw a suburban-like area with older Victorian homes and more vegetation areas. To her right was more what looked like small businesses and an old downtown.

"You weren't kidding," Sherry stated almost in surprise.

"About what?" Negan inquired.

"About the houses. Are they safe enough? A herd hasn't come to this place yet? Do you have gates?" Sherry asked as a wave of questions formed around her. She needed to know that her group would be one hundred percent safe.

He chuckled and grabbed for her hand as they headed in the opposite direction from her group. She turned to look at them and then made eye contact with Dwight. He didn't break their gaze as she could tell from the distance that the worry in his eyes was ever present. She wished that she was heading in the same direction as her group. Dwight broke his gaze when a man pushed him along to keep his pace with the rest of Sherry's people. He grudgingly did so as Sherry went her own way with Negan.

"Your group is fine. We call this place Sanctuary and we call our group the Saviors. This is the safest place in this whole fucking hell hole. Plenty of herds have come our direction but it's nothing that we can't handle. We also have the best fucking gate around. I'll show you in the morning if you want," Negan informed with pride.

They didn't have to walk too far as Negan's home was only across the street from the court house. It was an older Victorian house with a small sign on the front that was nearly unreadable but Sherry could faintly see, _of Historic Downtown. _It appeared that the town remodeled the old home to be a museum. Sherry felt somewhat melancholy that the town's history was disregard as Negan set up his home there.

Negan then tugged on her arm to get her moving as alarms went off in her head. When he opened the white picket fence that led to his porch, she then looked to the house with apprehension then glared at him. "Negan what's going to happen when we get into that house?" She asked.

He smiled innocently. "I know what you are thinking. And honestly, it's been a long fucking day. I'm tired. No screwing around tonight," Negan said almost flattered that she brought that up.

She wore a disgusted look on her face as she gave him dagger eyes. "I wouldn't have wanted to even if you weren't tried," Sherry protested.

His smile instantly vanished. "What are _you _insinuating? Did you think I wouldn't let you have a choice in the matter?" He inquired.

Sherry didn't let her eyes wane from his as she tried to make her words sound very cutting. "You know that I should have every right to think that. So far, you haven't given me options. Why would I think that this situation was any different?" Sherry asked.

Negan bit his bottom lip and scanned Sanctuary in thought. "Contrary to your belief about our group, we have a code that we live by to keep some order," Negan assured.

Sherry took a step closer to him. "Yeah? Who wrote this code? You?" She challenged bravely.

Negan stared her down. "I would think twice before you take that tone with me," he cautioned darkly. He had already reprimanded her about pushing his buttons earlier that evening but she wanted to know more of what she was getting into. Even if her group didn't really have an actual choice. She needed to know about the situation that they found themselves in. Sherry was exhausted both mentally and physically. But in a previous life, she had a dad that would have wanted her to fight with every bone in her body before she waved the white flag. She would play his game if it meant her group would be alive. Yet she didn't want to become broken in the process.

"If my people are going to be a part of Sanctuary, then we need to know how exactly we are to live by your rules," Sherry stated steadfastly.

"I said most of the rules in the basement," Negan answered with a shrug.

"Yeah, the basic rules," Sherry chided. "I'm talking about the rules that you have to tell the not so good people."

Negan started to grin at her with amusement. "You don't look old enough to have been a cop. Were you?" He asked.

Sherry bit the inside of her lip and took a deep breath. "No," she said curtly then turned towards the fence in annoyance. She had been _married _to the hot headed leader for no less than an hour and was already sick of him.

He turned towards the fence and put his forearms against it while leaning against them. "Over time, you will get to know all of our rules. I suspect that you'll be with us for a while," Negan clarified for her.

"You know that answer more than I do," she responded sarcastically.

Negan whistled with a wide grin. "Shit, you are one smart ass. You don't always have to fight me on everything. You know that, right?" He commented as he shook his head with incredulity.

"I just like being in control," Sherry disclosed.

Negan's smile faltered as he looked down to his hands. "Sherry? I would like the thing that we have between us to be a slice of heaven compared to this world. I'm willing to offer you peace of mind," Negan explained gently. Sherry mentally closed herself from his sincerity as it made it more difficult to hate him.

"Whatever," Sherry replied knowing it sounded distant and even cold but she didn't even care.

Just then, a group of Negan's followers walked on the sidewalk next to his house. All of them started chanting Negan's name when they walked past. Once they were a good distance away, they went back about their business like nothing had happened.

"What the hell was that?" Sherry asked with a puzzled look on her face.

"I'm the man in charge," Negan informed her. "They know it; that's all it was."

"So you weren't elected," Sherry said without it being a question. "You just took that title." Sherry was purposefully pushing his buttons to understand where her boundaries were with him. Ideally, she hoped that she had enough room to run her mouth whenever she could. Yet, she worried if she did that her group would pay.

"I earned it like every other dictator before me has," Negan remarked simply.

"Well, at least you know to put yourself in that category," Sherry said sardonically.

He chuckled a bit at her comment. "I wasn't lying when I saw that I would treat you like a queen. In Sanctuary, you will be," Negan said.

Sherry grinded her teeth at the thought but hated the situation that she was in. No amount of extra luxury would change her mind. She looked up to Negan and turned her eyes into slits. "The second that we have the chance to get out of here, we are going to take it. And you won't be able to do anything about it because we'll already be long gone," she sneered.

Negan looked at her while Sherry detected a small twitch in his eye. Quickly, he grabbed her arm and guided her into the house. "For the first couple of weeks – or months depending on how you behave – you are going to be in another room and handcuffed. By morning, you'll be on your own and free to do whatever the fuck you want. I have a couple people lined up to be your escorts while I take care of some business. Don't think about escaping because it's not going to fucking happen. Got it?" The last words he said in a mocking tone as he led her up the stairs and into a room on the right of the staircase.

Inside the room was a bed with a metal headboard that was over-decorated with quilts. He patted the mattress to coax her to sit on it. "Until you trust me, I can't trust you. Sorry, Sherry. I know we got off on the wrong foot and I'll try to make that better. But I don't trust you right now to sleep in my bed," Negan urged while waiting for her expectantly.

Sherry could see that he was trying his best to be patient with her. Sherry didn't know what possessed her to make his life more difficult especially after he had knifed Hannah in the throat. He was a murderer. She knew he was. But she almost wanted to prove to him that she wasn't scared of him; even though she was.

Sherry hesitantly sat down on the bed as he pulled the handcuffs from his back pocket. He put one cuff on the metal bed frame as she laid down and then put the other cuff around her wrist. Satisfied with his work, Negan stood up straight and started to leave without another word. But as he reached the door he stopped and looked at her. "Sherry, I hope that I am able to look forward to something at the end of the day. Something that will keep me sane throughout all of this shit that's been happening. I'm sorry about everything that I have put you through already. I hope you believe me," he conveyed to her.

Sherry sighed as she let some of her guard down. The death of Hannah was still however on the forefront of her mind as she had to continue to remind herself about it. He killed her friend and she refused to let him get off with a few sentimental words. "I would like to believe you, Negan. Let's hope with time that I will," she replied back callously as she looked up to the ceiling and didn't return his gaze.

His smile looked distant as he looked in the hallway. "Goodnight, Sherry," he said and then closed the door.

In the pitch black she laid there uncomfortably and somewhat bewildered at her situation. "Goodnight," she returned but more to herself.

…

_Sherry continued to drive until she hit the outskirts of Atlanta. It was there that she was stuck in traffic with Haruki and Takuya. "Shit," Sherry muttered under her breath. She looked around as other cars had their cars turned off as the drivers were casually walking around on the highway. They had reached a standstill._

"_What do we do now?" Haruki asked in broken English._

_Sherry tapped the steering wheel with her thumb as she contemplated their next step. "The airport is out of the question. I'm not sending you guys to a dead end. You guys know that the airport just isn't an option anymore, right?" She asked as she turned to look at the stunned men._

"_Yes," Takuya said solemnly. For the while that it took to drive, every emotional road block was touched in during that small duration of time. At one point, Haruki was sobbing and cursing at Sherry to turn the car around when they passed the exit for the airport. Takuya calmed him down as he too was sobbing in hysterics. Sherry could only imagine being so far away from home during what seemed like the end of the world. At least she lived in the same country that she was born in. Takuya and Haruki still felt like strangers._

_Hours passed as they all thought about what to do next. "My dad suggested that I lay low somewhere in the outskirts of Atlanta," Sherry addressed the guys. "And by outskirts, I mean some place where no one lives. Maybe an unpopulated place in the forest. I don't know. Something that won't attract whatever is going on with everyone."_

_Several minutes went by as the men thought amongst themselves. "We choose to stay with you," Takuya finally said. Haruki nodded in agreement. _

_Sherry was surprised at their willingness of her plan. "Okay. But guys, I really don't think that this plague is going to let up anytime soon. We could be in the woods for a very long time. We need to learn to be independent while we're out there. We'll buy stuff at this Target up ahead for the first few weeks but then we have to live off the land. I'll teach you some stuff that my dad taught me. Like hunting and building fires. But if you guys want to back out anytime, I understand. We can part ways whenever you want. Okay?" Sherry said and looked to them for a response._

_Haruki glanced at Takuya then spoke up. "I have never hunted before. I'm a vegetarian," he uttered quietly._

"_I'm sure we can find some nice plants for a salad then," Sherry said sarcastically. "Do you guys know how to use a gun?"_

"_I don't believe in guns," Haruki complained again._

_Takuya looked less confident but nodded his agreement at his only friend. "I don't either," he confessed._

_Sherry fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Well, I assure you, guns are out there whether you believe in them or not." She thought it best not to mention that she had a handgun in her glove compartment due to her dad's insistence that she take one while she was in college. "It doesn't matter. I'm not going to be your body guards for God knows how long. If you need to defend yourselves, you either learn how to shoot a fucking gun or you'll be dead meat by the week's end," Sherry warned and faced the windshield again._

_She could feel their gaze behind her head as she slowly turned her head almost conscience-stricken. "I'm sorry," she said to them. "I'm just stressed out."_

_After several minutes of silence, they were still in the same spot in traffic. Long ago, Sherry had turned off the car to preserve her gas tank. Others had already done the same and started mingling with others in the cars around them. From her car, she could see the skyline of Atlanta. On the radio, she could hear a message playing over and over again about a safe zone in the city. She wanted it to be true. But she knew to stay clear of people until further notice of a cure or whatever came first. Her dad wanted her away from the city and she vowed to listen to him._

"_Maybe we should go to the safe zone," Haruki suggested._

"_You guys can go. My car and I are not going anywhere near that place," Sherry said stubbornly._

_They were silent again and then started discussing what to do in Japanese. She could tell Haruki was unhappy with her by the way that he was talking but she didn't care. Suddenly, someone knocked gently on her window. She looked to see who it was and saw it was an older man with a leather jacket. He bent down to see her as she rolled the window down._

"_I'm sorry to bother you, miss. But do you happen to have water with you? There is a guy over there that's heating up really fast. He doesn't look too good," the man said with a kind smile._

_Sherry looked around the car and saw an empty water bottle that she had finished off soon after they stopped in the traffic. She turned her gaze back to him with regret. "I'm sorry, I don't. But I can help you find some though," she offered knowing the car wasn't moving for a while._

"_Much obliged. My name is Dean, by the way," he said in introduction._

"_I'm Sherry." They shook hands and then went car to car trying to find water. When they eventually did, Dean guided her to the man with the fever._

"_Do you think that he is infected?" Sherry asked._

"_Oh yeah. He's trying to hide something on his shoulder. I think he got bit by one of those things," Dean explained with pity towards the man._

_Sherry looked at him incredulously and shook her head. "What the hell is going on?" She asked._

"_I have no idea. I have never seen anything like this," He said hardly believing his own words. "The most unusual thing about this all is that people are coming back to life."_

_Sherry stopped in her tracks as she processed what he had said. "Coming back to life?" She asked._

"_Yeah, but they aren't what they used to be. It's like something out of the Exorcist. Almost like they are possessed. Gnawing and growling at people. I tried to help someone earlier today and I asked her where she lived thinking maybe I could take her safely home. She didn't even answer and chased me down the street. Definitely some odd things are happening," He said as he started walking again. Sherry followed._

"_You said he was hiding something on his shoulder? Are you saying that you get infected by being bit by those things?" She asked while scanning everyone around them. She immediately felt vulnerable by being around so many people that could already be infected._

"_That's only my theory. I'm no scientist or doctor though," Dean admitted._

_Sherry shook her head. "Again, what the hell is going on?" She questioned._

_Dean peered around him at all the people almost contemplating that they would all be dead soon. It made Sherry feel sick. "Should we bring this water to him?" He asked trying to sound optimistic by staying busy._

"_I don't want to go anywhere near the guy but it's the right thing to do. At least we'll have made him comfortable while he's still around," Sherry enthused._

_They reached the man and gave him water at a safe distance by handing the water bottle to a family member of his. When they walked away, Dean looked towards Sherry's car and then to her. "Where are you guys headed?" He inquired._

_She shrugged and let out an uneven sigh. "We have no idea. I was going to take these guys to the airport before my dad told me that all airports were grounded indefinitely. My original plan was to camp with my friends and wade this all out until things calmed down. I have this sinking feeling that isn't going to happen soon," Sherry relayed._

"_You should stick with the camp idea. If you wouldn't mind, I would like to come with you guys. We could get several others that are interested in the idea. Get some sort of community going while we wait for the storm to pass. What do you think?" He asked her._

_Sherry looked to one family camping outside of their car while she thought of Dean's plan. There were two young children as their individual mothers talked to each other. There was one mom that had a buzz cut as she appeared disoriented but almost calm in comparison to the others around her. She looked like she had worn that face even before the catastrophe happened. It didn't take long to realize what caused her demeanor after her husband barked at her for one reason or another. Sherry had half a mind to go over and yell at him on the woman's behalf. But the look in the little girl's eyes stopped her. Sherry and the little girl then made eye contact. Sherry could see from the girl's reaction that the interaction between her parents was the norm while the other family looked on in equal shock._

_Sherry liked the idea of grouping with others but she could almost hear her dad say in her ear to not trust anyone. She wanted to trust Dean, Haruki, and Takuya. However, she didn't want to be back into a corner either._

_Dean was still waiting for a response as she sighed in defeat. Regardless of what her dad would have warned, she was on her own. She didn't have the support system of her large family in Chicago. She was all by herself and wanted to group with people rather than wade out the end of the world on her own. "It's an idea," she said optimistically to Dean. "I'll take anything over no-," Sherry was stopped by some screaming up ahead followed by more shrieks and cries. Someone was running their direction and nearly pummeled into Dean head on._

"_What in the hell?" Dean muttered while trying to look over the masses of people ahead of them._

_More people started running towards Dean and Sherry. Sherry took the liberty of climbing onto a nearby car to see the commotion. People ran as others that were much slower crept up towards them and surrounded the people still inside their vehicles. They were clawing and gnarling at the terrified people. Some groups that were bitten at viciously as swarms of infected tore them a part. Sherry couldn't believe her eyes._

_Sherry jumped off the car and looked to Dean. "We need to get out of here now!" She yelled as they ran towards her car. When they got there, she banged on the windows desperately. "GET OUT!" She screamed at the two men in the backseat of her car. _

_The startled men immediately got out of the car with their things in tow as Sherry grabbed for her backpack in the front seat. She then reached for her handgun in her glove compartment as she felt someone snarl behind her. She turned around quickly to see Dean shoot at the creature, that couldn't even be considered a human anymore, as it fell to the ground and blood spattered all over Sherry's car. _

_Dean looked to Sherry and to the gun. "Never leave home without it," Dean said then acknowledge Haruki and Takuya while Sherry crawled out of her vehicle as quickly as she could. "Let's go." He said to all of them. Sherry and Dean started running as Haruki and Takuya followed close behind. They hadn't a destination in mind except for staying away from the beings that had reanimated and away from the city._

"_Where are we going?" Haruki asked as Sherry started walking off the highway and into the woods next to it._

"_Away!" She answered back as she hoped it was the right place to go. Their experience on the highway made her terrified of too many people in one place. It offered too much confusion. She only wanted to focus on surviving with the limited amount of people that she happened to befriend only hours before. Sherry did think of the plus side and how she didn't feel so alone in the new world anymore._

…

Sherry woke up from the sunlight that peeked through the closed blinds. She was sweating as she tried to kick the blankets off of her while half-asleep. Immediately she was on alert as she vaguely remembered where she was. She jolted up out of bed while still in a daze but was yanked back towards the bed as she fell beside it. Sherry looked to her hand that was cuffed to the metal bed frame as recognition settled in. She placed her forehead on the mattress beside her and groaned. _Sanctuary wasn't a very bad dream, _she thought. _It was all real._

"Good morning," someone said in the room. Sherry knew the voice but it still startled her as she looked around for the source. She then saw Yolanda that sat in the rocking chair in the corner of the room as she stood up with a key in hand.

Sherry could have cried upon seeing one of her group members and smiled at her. "Thank God," Sherry beamed while Yolanda started fiddling with the keys to set Sherry free. The handcuffs soon got off from her wrist and the first thing she did was give Yolanda a hug. Yolanda returned the gesture with somewhat surprise as Sherry wasn't the most affectionate group member. But Yolanda squeezed tightly and smiled at Sherry and was happy to see her. "I'm so glad you are okay, Yolie!" Sherry exclaimed as she broke the hug. "Is everyone else alright?"

"Everyone is fine," Yolanda smiled in comfort but quickly looked to her with concern. "We were wondering if you were being treated well."

Sherry nodded. "I'm okay. Why are you here?" She inquired and almost hoped that perhaps Dwight had already come up with an escape plan.

"Negan sent for me. I'm supposed to look after you during the day," Yolanda said with less enthusiasm. "I have been assigned to be your escort."

Sherry could tell Yolanda wasn't excited about the job and she also considered it unnecessary as she could take care of herself. "Luckily, we have each other throughout all of this," Sherry stated as Yolanda sat beside her on the floor next to the bed.

"Did he try anything with you last night?" Yolanda asked hesitantly unsure if Sherry wanted to share.

"No," Sherry said. "We didn't even sleep in the same bed."

Yolanda was silent as Sherry could see her trying to form the words in her mind. "The group and I wanted to let you know that we don't want you to bend over backwards to try and keep us alive. We don't need his protection," Yolanda revealed.

"Glad that we're all on the same page," Sherry said as she stood up and walked towards the window behind the rocking chair. When she opened the blinds, she could see Sanctuary more clearly than she could have from her window in the court house. Even looking out, she could see that Negan's men, called the Saviors, were everywhere. They were on rooftops, walking in the street, or standing in doorways. "I don't plan on staying here for long."

"Do you have a plan?" Yolanda inquired while standing next to her.

"No," Sherry responded dismally. "What about the rest of the group? Did they think of anything?"

"Dwight said that he would try and think of something after his first day on the job. He'll scope out the area and check for any weak spots," Yolanda informed.

"Of course he will," Sherry said with confidence in Dwight. She didn't expect anything less from him.

"He told us that he had to give you the bad news about Negan," Yolanda said suddenly.

Sherry nodded with sadness. "He did," she said quietly.

"That must have been difficult for both of you," Yolanda commented as she put a comforting hand on Sherry's shoulder. Sherry looked to her in question as Yolanda rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, Sherry. That boy is in love with you. He doesn't want you anywhere near that awful man."

Sherry could feel more bitterness take over. "A couple of nights ago, he asked me if we could be…an item… He said life was too short… Then Negan showed up," Sherry said as she shook her head in disbelief. "Talk about bad timing."

Yolanda nodded then looked down to the floor. "Ever since you were hit that night, Dwight has become a different man. He hasn't cracked a joke; not even a smile. He's been very distant… If it were anyone else in the group that was put in your position, he wouldn't be having this hard of a time," Yolanda confided.

Sherry wondered where Dwight was and looked out the window just in case. Yolanda then smiled and looked at the door. "He's downstairs guarding the door," Yolanda said as if reading her mind.

Sherry immediately bolted down the stairs to see Dwight standing on the front porch as he overlooked Sanctuary. He turned around to see Sherry and walked into the house. "Sherry?" He said with relief. Sherry was amazed at how happy she was to see him. It immediately made her side when they finally had a conversation that would have settled into deeper relationship territory. _It's exactly what Dwight said. Life is short, _she thought.

Once she reached the bottom stair, she crashed into him. He didn't immediately reciprocate the gesture like the night before but several seconds later, he wrapped his arms around her softly and laid his cheek on top of her head. "I can't be here long. Negan doesn't want me here when you're awake," Dwight divulged as they broke apart.

"What? Why?" Sherry asked in an upset tone.

"I'll tell you later. I can't be here right now. It's not safe for either of us but I just wanted to let you know that I am so sorry that we're in this mess," he whispered in hushed tones.

"Me too," Sherry said as she was felt Dwight's hand encircled hers. She then felt a folded piece of paper touch her fingers. He let go of her hand and gave her a knowing look then hastily stepped out of the house without another word.

Yolanda stood at the top of the stairs and looked to Sherry with questioning in her eyes. "What is it?" She asked. Sherry stared down at the piece of paper in her hand and could feel the warmth on it from Dwight's touch. She turned her heel towards the stairs and practically ran up to the bedroom as Yolanda quickly followed behind. When they made it to the room, Yolanda closed the door behind them as Sherry sat on the bed and unfolded the note.

_Sher,_

_In the mornings, I'll give you an update like this letter. I hope you update me as well. This is how we know when to strike at Negan._

_On my side, I will try and scope out all of Sanctuary and look for vantage points. I don't want to stay here long. For your sake. _

_Sherry, I know it's bold of me to say but I just wanted to let you know that I think of you almost every minute of the day. You are what drives me to do the things I do nowadays. I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe. And if he ever lays a hand on you in an unfavorable way, please let me know as soon as possible._

_Sincerely yours, Dwight_

**AUTHOR'S NOTE – And I leave with that. Hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you thought in the reviews!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Yolanda was given a list of things that Negan expected to be done around the house throughout the day. Both Yolanda and Sherry were given breakfast on the first day but beyond that, Yolanda had to prepare every meal. They were both surprised to receive eggs and homemade bread. They ate on the wrap-around porch. The rest of Yolanda's list consisted of cleaning the house and doing laundry.

"I can do my own laundry," Sherry grumbled on behalf of Yolanda. It almost disgusted her that Yolanda's job consisted of housekeeping. She was a strong and capable woman that didn't need to clean up after other people. Yolanda also had an adopted daughter named Jenna to keep herself occupied. Even though Sanctuary had a school set up and Jenna was gone during the day, Sherry could tell that Yolanda was on edge by not being with her. Especially since they had all spent six months being at each other's side nonstop.

Sherry helped with Yolanda's work even if Negan didn't require it. She only didn't want Yolanda to be the only one who worked on the house as she practically did nothing. "This is a step back," Yolanda said as they cleaned the pigsty of a kitchen.

Sherry scrubbed at a plate that had been there for what seemed like ages and almost gagged at the smell. "I guess _someone_ thinks us incapable of doing anything else," Sherry muttered while Yolanda smiled.

"It's a little odd to be doing these things after we have camped outside for so long," Yolanda commented. "Almost like being at the mansion again."

Sherry had thought about one of their hold up places in the six months that they were out on the road and avoiding walkers. The mansion was the best set up that they had but even then it became overrun with the undead. "Almost," she replied while pondering how different Sanctuary was to that slice of heaven.

Yolanda looked to the list of chores then glanced towards Sherry. "It says that you need to take a shower before ten o'clock," Yolanda said then looked to the clock above the small kitchen table. "It's a quarter after nine now."

Sherry knew that they had running water in the houses of Sanctuary when she turned the faucet on at the kitchen sink. Yet she still stared at Yolanda with astonishment. "A shower?" She questioned.

Yolanda nodded. "Already took one last night. It was very nice," she responded and went back to wiping down the kitchen counters. "Go for it. I'll be okay."

…

Sherry carried a kitchen chair upstairs with her as she propped it against the door just in case. She turned the water on as she took her clothes off and waited for it to warm up. Surprisingly, the water did warm up very nicely as she tried to wash herself off as fast as she could. The sound of the water put her on edge because she could hear very little else. Even though she could admit to herself that she enjoyed a nice hot shower, Sherry felt antsy regardless.

When she got out, she quickly wrapped a towel around her and grabbed the new clothes that she brought in from the bedroom. When she heard a male voice downstairs, she hurriedly dried herself and put her clothes on hoping that Yolanda was alright. Yolanda would have told her that they were expecting company soon and the arrival wasn't planned. She ran a towel through her hair to help it dry before she opened the door and walked down the stairs to see what was going on.

When she stepped down to the main floor, she saw Negan in the living room as he looked up to her cheerfully. Sherry gazed around the room and didn't see Yolanda anywhere in sight. "Where's Yolie?" She asked with somewhat worry. She still wasn't used to the separation from her group after months of being shoulder to shoulder.

"I told her to take a lunch break and be with her daughter," Negan disclosed as he walked towards her. "You sure clean up nice." Negan almost had a boyish look about him. Sherry noticed his deep dimples every time that he grinned and hated how much she was attracted to that trait. She turned it off and reminded herself that those appeared when he became the most demented.

"Thanks," she replied halfheartedly as she looked away from him wondering what he wanted.

"Want to take a walk with me?" Negan asked her while taking her hand. Sherry stiffened at the touch but stood frozen unsure of what to do. "I'm going to teach you how to fire a weapon. Just to make sure that you have proper training."

Sherry nearly glowered at him. "I already know how to use a gun. My dad taught me years ago."

Negan scoffed at her tone and kissed her on the temple while she immediately pulled back at the unsolicited affection. Harmless, but it still made her uncomfortable. "Yeah, we'll see about that," Negan said while waving off her indifference. Sherry was annoyed by his cockiness and his assurance that she was clueless in matters of weapons. In fact, she could have proven to be a cruddy wife for all he knew but because she was a woman that's all she knew how to be. Annoyed was an understatement.

They walked out of the front door as some Saviors that awaited them on the porch followed as they walked towards Negan's white picket fence. Without even thinking, she started to search Dwight's face among the people that she could see. Unfortunately, she didn't see any signs of him.

"Where is my group?" She asked as nonchalantly as possible. She was constantly nervous for their well-being.

"They are out and about doing things that contribute to the group. Not causing a lick of trouble like some other newcomers have," Negan said as a matter-of-factly. "I'm fucking impressed actually. They'll be great assets to the Saviors cause."

"They probably only listen to rules because they are scared of you," Sherry accused not trying to say it as a compliment.

Negan stopped and pondered what Sherry had said. "Good," he said shortly. "That's how I want it to be."

Sherry didn't say any more. So far, she had seen his worst side; someone who she wished that she had never seen. The good side of Negan was a one way street. There was only room to please Negan. Negan didn't care to please his "friends."

Sherry and Negan turned the corner towards the downtown area of Sanctuary and headed towards a building nearby the court house which looked to be an old police department. Negan guided Sherry to the back entrance that had stairs to its basement. He opened a metal door as it led to small, dark room. There was some light that protruded from a glass door that showed into an even bigger room while Negan showed her the opposite wall that had clean ear plugs. Sherry looked in the other room and was surprised to see what it actually was. Negan instructed her to put on some hearing protection before they opened the door to none other than a shooting range in the basement of the police station.

Once the door opened, everyone that was inside the range stopped firing their weapons. When Negan closed the door behind them, the weapons fired once more as Sherry was grateful for the ear plugs that she wore.

"This is one of the reasons we decided to stay in this town over every other place," Negan yelled right next to her to be overheard by all the gunshots. "This police station had a shooting range that is completely sound proof. Very rare for a small town. We lucked out! And this way we can practice without having a herd come our direction!"

"Aren't you worried about running out of ammo?" Sherry shouted over the sudden blasts from the firearms.

Negan chuckled as he found two empty booths at the end of the room. "We have enough fucking ammo for years! Most of our shit came from army camps from all over the D.C. area. There was a lot of those," he explained as he grabbed an assault rifle that was propped against the wall.

"D.C.? Like Washington D.C.?" Sherry inquired. She had no idea that her group had made it up that north from Georgia. Because they stayed off major highways and away from big cities, they had no idea where they were for the last several months.

"Yes ma'am. The one and only," Negan said and handed her the rifle. "Let's try this one first, sweetheart. The recoil isn't bad so you won't get a bad bruise on your shoulder."

"Not the first time I used one," Sherry reminded as she grabbed the gun from Negan's grasp while standing in front of her own lane. Sherry checked to see if the rifle was loaded and if the safety was off then adjusted the gun's length for her shorter arms. When she saw everything was ready, she finally looked up to see what her targets were. Walker heads lined the back wall on metal shelves. Sherry could have estimated hundreds, if not thousands, of walker heads.

"Right in between the eyes," Negan informed as he set up his gun in the lane next to her. "Anything else doesn't fucking count."

She held the gun and saw the walkers in her sight. She pushed down on the trigger and her first shot hit a walker square in the eye. She then had her eyes set on the walker head next to the one she had just killed. She shot that one in the temple and then went for another walker beside it as the shot fell in between the eyes.

"Finally! You actually got a point," Negan said sarcastically. She glared at him to see his teasing smirk as he winked in her direction when they made eye contact.

Sherry smiled to herself as she felt some confidence overflow. She took aim and shot at five more walkers. All of which were in between the eyes as per Negan's instructions.

"Who did you say taught you to shoot?" Negan asked her in awe.

"My dad," Sherry clarified and then shot another walker.

Negan whistled at her ability with a gun then shook his head. "I'm fucking impressed. This is a major turn on for me," Negan relayed and then shot his gun that was in his hands.

_Bleh, _Sherry thought from his comment. "I told you that I was decent with a gun," she said timidly without trying to sound thoroughly disgusted.

"Was your dad a hunter?" Negan asked.

"No," Sherry replied and pulled the trigger again. "He was a cop."

"Hmm," Negan practically scoffed at her answer but went on about shooting in his own lane. After several moments of shooting, Negan showed her other weapons as she tried her luck with an array of other guns. When she tried a couple of shots here and there, Negan would give her another gun to try on for size. "I wanted to give this one back to you," Negan said as he nodded towards one of his men while the man handed him Sherry's old Mossberg that she had when their camp was taken over by the Saviors.

Sherry looked at the gun with sadness then shook her head. "You can keep it," Sherry insisted and pretended that he didn't present it to her as she continued shooting with a pistol.

"You don't like it?" Negan asked.

"I just don't want it anymore. That's all," Sherry said while feigning disinterest. The gun reminded her of her refusal to put it down which led to Hannah's eventual death.

Negan shrugged in reply and placed it on the wall in front of him. "Fine, I'll take it," he muttered more to himself then went about his business. Sherry looked at the weapon with longing. That gun and her had been through a lot but she pretended to herself that it didn't bother her as much as it did. Negan took one last shot then looked to Sherry. "I'm done for the day. I'll drop you off at the house," Negan proclaimed and gestured for Sherry to follow. Sherry was slightly miffed that he didn't even ask her if she was finished but ignored it. Negan went to open the door as all guns fell silent once more. Outside the shooting range, Negan and Sherry took their ear plugs out and then walked outside.

…

Negan left her at the house while Yolanda and Jenna were there to greet her. Together they all looked for a piece of paper and a pen around the house as Sherry found some in Negan's office on the main floor. Sherry then stepped into her bedroom while Yolanda stood at the doorway with concern on her face.

"Your head injury, Sherry," Yolanda reminded. "It was hit pretty bad the night that they dragged us here. After you are done with that letter, please get some rest."

"I'll try," Sherry replied with a smile then looked to Jenna who stood next to her mother. "How was your first day of school here in Sanctuary?"

Jenna shrugged. "It's school," she responded but didn't act entirely enthusiastic about the situation. Yolanda grinned at her daughter then closed Sherry's door to insist that she sleep. To Sherry's knowledge, he would be gone until it was dark. She had plenty of time to write a letter without being suspect of anything.

Yolanda left and closed the door behind her. To her knowledge, Negan was going to be gone until dinner time. She had plenty of time to write a letter without being suspect of anything.

_Dear Dwight, _

_It's not bold of you to say that. If I am being honest with myself, I think about you a lot during the day as well._

_My side is a little difficult. Negan is trying to befriend me so perhaps we can delve into something deeper in the future…which unfortunately for him, it isn't going to happen. He killed Hannah and that's something that I don't have tolerance for._

_I do look forward to your next letter. It was given me something to look forward to while we're in Sanctuary._

_Negan has actually been more polite than I thought he would have been. I have my own bed while he goes to sleep in a different room altogether. _

_Whatever you do, please be careful. Negan has a lot of men and if he's suspicious of us, I don't see a way out of that predicament. _

_Sherry Ciccone_

Sherry put down her pen and paper then folded it up in the same fashion that Dwight had done with the letter he gave her. She put in her pillowcase for the time-being as she started to eventually feel tired after all. The wound on the back of her head did make her feel exhausted but it was healing well. With the letter finished, she dozed off with an almost smile on her face. It made her glad to know that in less than a day's time that the letter would be in Dwight's possession. _Soon, _she thought as she started dreaming.

…

_It was only Sherry, Dean, Takuya, and Haruki for the first two weeks. They slept in the woods among other displaced survivors that were scattered around the forests outside of Atlanta. It was unbelievable seeing how many people fled the city. The first night soon after they abandoned her car, they heard a loud explosion in the direction of the skyline. Sherry didn't turn around to see what was going on but knew that the supposed safe zone was no longer an option for anyone._

_While in the woods, survivors were within twenty feet of each other in their own little camps. A couple of people decided to group up together and go further out of town. Sherry wasn't opposed to pairing up with more people but everyone around her was still making her nervous. She felt as if they were going to be infected with whatever the virus was. She also thought it would be better if there were less people that she became attached to. Sherry saw so much death in the first two weeks of the apocalypse. It was surreal and she hoped to see an end in sight. There was no order, no police telling them updates, no one calling the shots. Everyone was on their own._

_Whenever they heard someone screaming or something equally sketchy from someone else's camp, they quickly moved on with their only belongings on their backs. Crowds were a frequent view for the first week but they quickly dwindled to nearly nonexistent. At first, they came across many other groups. In the first week, they would just pass each other without another thought and sometimes briefly mutter to each other to "hang in there," or shake their heads with a "what a life we live now." However as time went on and hunger set in, some groups became hostile. Dean and Sherry agreed to steer clear of some groups. Particularly, the groups that mostly consisted of men. Sherry didn't want to ignore groups with small children and usually gave them any rations that she had collected for herself. Once they went their separate ways, she silently would say a prayer that the kids would be okay._

_Sherry had found a Mossberg from a car that they had scavenged while travelling to a different location. They learned quickly that if they were going to survive, they had to break some rules that weren't necessarily rules anymore. Sherry's group had ransacked empty cars that were left on the highways often._

_One day their group came across a large lake. Sherry overlooked as far as her eye could see to scan for any people along the lakeside._

"_Here," Dean said and gave her binoculars that he had in his backpack. "Your eyes are better for it."_

_Sherry took them and looked through them as she searched for anything that looked suspicious. The lake looked clear and clean to her as she heard Haruki all but throw himself in the water at the beautiful sight. Dean and Takuya laughed at Haruki's eagerness as Sherry kept searching for signs of walkers or threatening people. Then she noticed a small lake resort on the other side of the waterfront from where they stood. The place looked abandoned and had individual little cabins for two nestled into the woods. Sherry saw no signs of cars in its parking lot then looked to Dean with hope. "I think this is the best stroke of luck we had this whole time." Sherry commented with a smile and realized that it had probably been the first time she smiled since their ordeal began._

"_Do you think others are there?" Haruki asked at the water side in between gulps._

"_I guess we'll find out. But if there happens to be people, we could merge our group with theirs. Why not? Strength in numbers, right?" Sherry asked. Throughout the two weeks, she started to become less nervous of the living and felt more outnumbered with the dead. As much as she didn't want to join up with others that she didn't know, she felt her group didn't have any other choice if they wanted to survive for the long haul. _

_She searched through her bag and found what she needed then glanced at Haruki expectedly. Since their first car ride, Haruki's complaining was kept to a minimum but still would say a couple of things here and there that irked Sherry. Takuya seemed to adjust to their new life well enough so he was never on Sherry's bad side. Haruki on the other hand…_

"_Still don't believe in guns?" Sherry shouted towards him sarcastically._

_Haruki stopped drinking the water and looked to Sherry's gun for a long time but said nothing._

_Sherry rolled her eyes and held it up for him to take. "Look, Haruki. You need to learn how to use one of these to protect yourself. We won't always be there for you and have your back," she explained._

"_But…" Haruki started to protest._

"_Nope," Sherry said as she closed the distance between them and practically shoved the pistol in Haruki's hands. When he held it, he almost appeared somewhat defeated as Sherry let out a sigh. "Haruki," she began. "When I say that I won't always be there for you, it doesn't mean that I don't want to help you. I really want to. That's why I want you to learn how to use this. You need to prepare for a day that Dean, Takuya, and I will be dead and can no longer protect you. Are you ready for that?"_

_Haruki slowly shook his head but looked up to her in understanding. He put a tighter grip on the pistol as he placed it inside his pocket almost carelessly as Dean grimaced at the lack of care. Haruki turned around then led the way towards the cabins. Before Takuya followed, he gave Dean and Sherry a victorious smile with a thumbs up and was on his way._

"_Is it loaded?" Dean asked Sherry as they slowly followed behind them._

"_Absolutely not," Sherry replied. "Did you see how he just stuffed it in his pocket? He's not ready for ammunition."_

_Dean snickered as they walked along the muddy shore. "That was some tough love that you gave him but he needed to hear it," Dean praised._

"_Yeah but we can't hold his hand forever," Sherry added._

"_Did your parents teach you to be self-reliant?" Dean inquired lightheartedly but Sherry immediately felt a stab of pain at the mention of her family. Sherry didn't respond. Since her phone lost cell phone service, she kept quiet about her family. Whenever her group asked her about her personal life, a lump soon formed in her throat. She loved her parents. She was an only child and she knew that her parents were worried sick about her. But Sherry decided to remain focused on survival and to stay strong for her group. Talking about her life seemed like it would open up weaknesses around her wall that she was only trying to build._

_When they reached the cabins, they each checked every area of the perimeter for danger. Every little cabin had a mattress and a bathroom. They all took their own cabins except for Takuya and Haruki who decided to share their own. For once, their group had experienced peace. Dean found fishing supplies and decided to catch some fish on the dock nearby. Sherry helped him as Dean spoke of his wife that lived in California. He was on a cross country motorcycle trip for his sixty-fifth birthday and retirement celebration with his buddies. While on the trip, his friends had all gotten sick except for him. He told Sherry that he had planned on making the trip back to see if his wife was okay but the flights were grounded._

"_What's stopping you right now?" Sherry asked him while she sat on a lawn chair opposite of him on the dock. "Why don't you just walk until you find a car then use that car until you find another car and so on?"_

_Dean looked down to his fishing pole in thought as his mouth formed a tight line. "Because I am afraid of the outcome at the end of my journey. I'm afraid of all the outcomes that could happen. What if she's dead? What if she is already heading my direction and I miss her altogether? What if I make it and it's too late for me to help her?" He asked as his brows furrowed with grief. "I'm a coward, Sherry. I'm too afraid of 'what if's' to even go looking for my wife of who I have been married to for over four decades. What a gutless thing to do. And now she's all alone."_

_Sherry thought about what to say but didn't have any words to console him. She continued to fish alongside him until she could think of the right words to say. "Dean, I'm all by myself. I don't blame my family for not looking for me. The unknown is terrifying which is probably why I haven't tried to trek my way across the country. You are probably not on your way for the same reason that I am not heading towards them. This outbreak has killed a lot of people and fast. Odds are that my family is dead. They probably didn't even make it out of the suburb area. It's not cowardice to think that way, Dean. You're just being a realist. To be an optimist is dangerous nowadays," she explained quietly._

_Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Dean wipe at his cheeks but said nothing. After several moments had passed, he thanked her for her words as she nodded in return and reeled her fishing pole back in. She then set down the pole as she got up and patted Dean on the shoulder then left him alone with his thoughts. But more so, she needed time to think for herself._

_She slowly walked away from the cabins and went to where they had first found the lake with her Mossberg in hand. She decided if walkers ended up stalking her that she would just jump in the water and hope that they couldn't swim. When she found the right place of seclusion, she sat on some large rocks and threw small pebbles into the lake. She grew mesmerized by the ripple effects while also becoming lost in her thoughts._

_Sherry didn't open up about her family towards her group. Although it was something that Dean needed to hear for comfort, she vowed to never talk about her family again. It was physically painful to think about never seeing them again. She shoved the happy memories in the back of her head but they resurfaced almost as soon as she tried to bury them._

_A sob came from her throat followed by tears that she quickly tried to wipe away as if the burst of emotion didn't even happen. But she soon became a waterfall of tears and couldn't control it anymore. She cried openly for several minutes and took deep breaths as she wished the pain would go away so she didn't have to live with it. Vincent and Annie Ciccone were the best people that she had ever known. They were great members of the community and did what they could to provide for Sherry's extended family in the Chicago area. They were beacons and examples whom Sherry sought guidance from nearly every day. The first two weeks were rough and not seeing her parents was a large portion of that difficulty._

_Just when she was about to collect herself, she heard footsteps behind her in the near distance. She froze as she carefully reached for her gun that rested at her feet. She concentrated on the footsteps as they sounded even – unlike a walker's random shuffling. She didn't know who the person was but she needed to seem intimidating enough so the intruder would know not to mess with her. In a swift motion, she picked up the gun and turned around to immediately take aim._

_The footsteps belonged to a man that walked aimlessly in the forest. He noticed her immediate response to him and stopped in his tracks as she slowly stood up. Sherry watched him lean down slowly to put his crossbow on the ground then stood straight up with his hands in the air._

"_Whoa, whoa, whoa!" He whispered. It almost sounded like he came upon a wild house hat was about to trample in his direction. She stared at him, unwilling to put down her gun. "I'm just passing through. I don't want any trouble," he said in a calming tone. "Can you put your gun down?"_

"_Where are you headed?" Sherry asked as she observed everything about him. He wore jeans that had blood splattered in various places. He wore a blue t-shirt with no print or pattern on it. A beard had started to form on his face from the lack of shaving and weeks on the road. He had short brown curly hair and was very tall. She couldn't tell for sure from the distance but he looked to have had brown eyes. She could see by his countenance that he didn't look too dangerous. She was a good judge of character and could tell that he stood by his word and wasn't looking for trouble._

_He looked to her with a mournful gaze. "I don't really have a destination in mind. I was with some friends of mine and none of them made it. I was kind of hoping that I would just stumble on another group. Maybe a safe zone if there is one," he answered honestly._

_Sherry kept her gun aimed at him but saw the sincerity behind his words. He looked exhausted and like he just endured hell. After minutes had passed, she finally relented and dropped her gun and slung the strap on her back. "I have a group over at that resort over there," she said then pointed across the lake. "Would you like to be with us for a bit?"_

_He smiled gratefully and put his hands down then reached down for his crossbow. "I would appreciate that. Thanks, miss," he said gratefully as he walked slowly towards her._

_She stepped towards him and outstretched her hand. "My name is Sherry," she introduced herself with a small smile._

"_It's nice to meet you, Sherry," He said with his own grin. "I'm Dwight." Dwight looked to her and shook her hand. Then with concern, he gazed at her face which made her feel exposed. She figured he must have seen her crying earlier or observed her tear-stained cheeks. "Are you okay?" He asked._

"_I'll be fine," Sherry replied somewhat confidently as she guided him towards their camp._

_During their walk, Sherry would steal sideways glances at the newcomer. From what she noticed, he looked to be close to her age or was slightly older. He was taller than she was by at least a foot. He had a confident walk about him even though his eyes appeared like he had more than his fair share of newfound grief. She supposed everyone wore that look that was a mixture of shock and sadness._

_Every so often she would try and look at him and she would see that he was already looking at her. They would exchange awkward eye contact as she would break the gaze while her face flared red. She felt embarrassed for being caught in the act of staring although she didn't know why she felt abashed for it. She was entitled to observe someone._

"_So how long have you guys been here?" Dwight asked her while trying to stir up conversation._

"_We just found this place a few hours ago. All the cabins have their own mattresses and bathrooms. It's going to be nice to sleep on one for once," Sherry commented while noticing the sun going down._

"_Amen to that. Since this whole thing started, it's been the forest floor for me," Dwight commented as Sherry admitted to herself that she liked the sound of his voice. It was gentle but demanded everyone's attention when he spoke. At least it demanded her attention._

_They had reached the camp as Haruki and Takuya were collecting firewood to cook the fish that Dean had caught. Almost in unison, they all looked up to Sherry approaching a new group member. They were surprised but not necessarily alarmed at his presence when they saw Sherry's attitude towards him._

"_This is Dwight," Sherry started. "I found him while I was scouting the area and he'll be with us from here on out." She pointed to all the members. "That's Haruki. And that's Takuya. And this is Dean." They all gave him some small waves as Dean smiled widely towards Dwight._

"_Good thing that I caught a lot of fish. You hungry, son?" Dean asked._

"_I haven't had anything filling for days," Dwight said as he relaxed on a wooden lounge chair next to the fire that Takuya was successfully maintaining as its flames were growing._

"_Don't eat too much. Your appetite is a lot bigger than your stomach right now. So you might get full sooner than you think," Sherry said as she sat and leaned next to a tree._

"_Noted," Dwight said then glanced at her with a smirk. Sherry couldn't help but notice the flirtation in his tone as she tried to wave it off as nothing out of the ordinary._

_They cooked and ate fish while everyone exchanged stories of their lives before. Everyone except Sherry who only listened and smiled at the other group members and their upbringing or the things that they missed the most._

_Like clockwork, Sherry would see Dwight's attention avert to her from her peripherals. He would look for a couple of seconds and then look to whoever was speaking at the time. Sherry refused to look back at him only to avoid eye contact that would ensue after he was caught staring at her. She also assumed that if she was the first woman that Dwight had seen in a week that she was probably looking like Angelina Jolie at that point. She grinned to herself at the lame and very distant comparison._

_She hoped they would find others meandering in the woods with nowhere to go and that they could grow to be their own group and defend each other. She knew that could be the start of something good in their world._

…

She woke up to someone touching her face. Confused by the sensation in her half-asleep daze, she turned in bed to see Negan bending down and caressing her face. Sherry was immediately wide awake and weirded out as she crawled to the other side of the bed and completely annoyed that he was invading her personal space.

"Hi," he said simply with a mischievous grin plastered on his face.

"How long was I asleep for?" She asked as she looked out the window and saw that it was pitch black outside.

"About six hours. It's common though. With that gash on the back of your head, you need to sleep often. Dinner is ready to eat downstairs when you're ready. I'll see you in a couple of minutes," Negan said. With that, he turned on his heel and left the room.

It made Sherry uncomfortable that she didn't even hear him enter the room, let alone the house. She thought that she was a lighter sleeper than that but knew to sleep with one eye open from then on. She walked through the hallway upstairs as she heard the front door downstairs open then slam shut followed by shouts at the front of the house. Wondering what commotion was, Sherry hurried her steps on the stairs then looked outside the window next to the front door. Negan was fighting an older man in the middle of the street. The man appeared to not be blowing any punches in return as he just let Negan hit him.

Sherry opened the door and ran to the fence as she stood with the gathering crowd. Negan was on top of the man while punching him over and over again. The man looked to be nearly passed out and exhausted but didn't fight back. No one even tried to stop Negan. The man had to have been ten years younger than Sherry's grandmother which made her all the more frightened for him. The man was already so frail.

"Negan!" Sherry shouted. Negan landed a couple more blows after she had called out his name. Either he had selective hearing or chose not to respond. The man beneath him was starting to pass out in a bloody pulp. "NEGAN!" Sherry yelled again. She didn't dare touch him to try and stop him. He was drenched in the man's blood and Sherry was terrified of the man that had stroked her cheek only minutes ago.

The man below finally went limp as he dozed off into a pain induced slumber. Negan looked around at the people surrounding his little outburst. "Get back to whatever the fuck you were doing. Leave him be," Negan ordered as he stood up and motioned to the man lying in the middle of the street.

He passed by Sherry without a word and headed for the house. Sherry followed slowly as she looked to everyone else who in turn were staring at her. Some people chanted Negan's name and applauded. Some feared him. She feared for herself as she took more steps towards the house.

She opened the door and closed it quietly while hearing noise in the upstairs bathroom. The door was open as Sherry walked up the stairs then wondered how she should approach him. She saw him in the doorway with his shirt off which was in a bloody heap in the middle of the bathroom floor. Usually she would have admired a man that was as nicely toned as he was however it only frightened her more. If they ever fought each other, he would have won.

Negan washed his hands as he made a face but then looked up to her with an apologetic smile. "Did you see all of that shit?" He asked hesitantly while almost embarrassed to ask.

Sherry could see his knuckles bleeding and could deduce that they were in terrible shape. "You need to bandage those up, Negan. They look really bad," Sherry advised with trepidation. Her voice shook as she tried to get ahold of herself.

He glanced down at his hands and snickered softly. "Yeah," he agreed then looked up to her with pleading eyes. "Can you help me, Sherry? I've tried to bandage knuckles all by myself before. It's too fucking difficult," Negan asked as he looked at her hopefully.

"Yeah," she said in a higher breathless octave that sounded slightly nervous. Her bottom lip quivered as she tried to figure out what to say next. She didn't know how much she was shaking until she reached for the first aid kit that she saw Negan had already opened next to the sink. He calmly reached for her head and paused while she looked up to him in question.

"Sherry, he had it coming. I was only giving him what he asked for," Negan uttered quietly. He brought her into an awkward hug but Sherry didn't reciprocate his affection.

"What did he do?" Sherry inquired.

"He beat me in a ping pong game last night," He explained quickly as he shouldered past her then headed downstairs with the first aid kit in hand. Sherry was left shocked as she slowly followed Negan while thinking to herself how unhinged he was.

When she walked to the main floor and into the kitchen, she saw that Negan was already at the small table with a bowl of soup right next to him. "Grab yourself a bowl. In between bites you can help me out," he said as he took a bite of his own.

"What an appetizing activity while eating," Sherry said sarcastically.

Negan laughed. "Yeah, I was just hungry. You can wait to eat after if you don't want to multitask," he offered.

"I think I will take that option," Sherry said as she found towels in a kitchen drawer and soaked them in hot water from the sink. "So how do you guys have running water?" She thought to ask.

"We have people in charge of that. That is their job to keep the electricity going and that we always have water," Negan answered then took another bite.

"It's nice," Sherry stated honestly as she headed over to him with the towels and also a large bowl of hot water. She took his left hand and rested it on the table in front of her. She then took the moist towel and held it over his hand while preparing some ointment that was inside the first aid kit.

"Ready?" She asked timidly.

"Sherry, I have already fucked up my knuckles pretty bad before. Just fucking go for it," he said as he scooped up more soup.

"Fine," Sherry mumbled and without hesitating placed the towel right on top of his hand. She started to rub off the blood around his wounds as he cursed under his breath. She kneaded her fingers into places where the blood was being stubborn and wasn't trying to be gentle about it.

"Bitch, that fucking hurts," Negan complained in a whisper and his grinded together. He was trying so hard to keep his patience at a good level while Sherry decided to be gentler to avoid Negan slapping her across the face. She started massaging his hand a bit as she could feel his muscles relax. "Now that almost feels nice," he commented.

"Good," She replied while concentrating on her task as she started to bandage his knuckles.

It was quiet for a while as Negan stared at her face. Sherry avoided his gaze while she continued with her work. He then broke the silence and leaned forward slightly with a grin. "You going to tell me when you're ready to screw around?" He teased.

The sliver of peace that she had felt from the interaction before was completely shattered as he hurdled that curve ball at her. She glared up to him in annoyance and with warning in her eyes.

Negan put his right hand up in defense. "Okay, not tonight. I get it," he leaned towards her again. "But you will tell me when you're ready, right?" He asked her.

Sherry shrugged and gazed into his eyes to make sure that she was understood. "Just know that it might be awhile until that day comes," Sherry said but didn't mention that that moment could possibly never come.

He sighed and then took another bite of soup. "I'll take whatever I fucking can get," he replied with a small chuckle.

…

Night came and she was handcuffed to the frame like the previous eve before. She slept soundly and was again woken up by Yolanda who had another list of chores for that day. The list was a little bit longer than the other but it gave them something to do to get their minds off of their personal hell.

Yolanda stood watch as Sherry added a side note for Dwight.

_P.S. Please be careful if you ever play anything competitive with Negan. He is a sore loser._

_P.P.S. Also, you said that you can't see me. Why is that?_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_Dwight sat next to the campfire with his new group. They all spoke about their lives before and the stories were all intriguing to him. Especially Takuya and Haruki's stories of Japan. They were filled with a twinge of sadness knowing that their old lives were only a memory. Nothing was going to be the same after what they had just seen and endured in the last two weeks._

_Before he met up with his new group, Dwight had been alone for eight days. They had been the longest days of his life as he hardly slept with every noise that woke him up. It was torturous and lonely. Sherry was the first person that he saw throughout that whole time. He couldn't believe that his world would so easily pick itself back up to somewhat normal after such traumatic events._

_As interesting as it was to hear of the men's stories, Dwight often glanced at Sherry who remained quiet. She was satisfied with listening to the stories of their childhood long gone but never once did she add her two cents towards the conversation. Every so often, the woman would notice Dwight staring at her so he would look down at his feet instead or stare off into the distance. However, the more that he got caught, the more entertained he became at the annoyed look on her face. It was the most fun that he had had in a long time. Granted it was at someone's expense because he sensed Sherry didn't particularly like the attention on her but he thought it was still fun to poke fun at someone who could potentially be his friend in the future._

_After a while, she would stare past the group or look into the fire as Dwight could tell that she was taken somewhere else while riding down memory lane. That time, he didn't stare to be bothersome. Dwight was only becoming lost in her own grief that was clearly written on her face. It was just as real as the stories that the rest of their group were saying aloud._

_Dean patted his legs and stood up from his seat on a log. "Let's say we get this place all cleaned up and then we'll all go to bed. Sherry, would you like to show Dwight his cabin?" He asked Sherry as she blinked several times from being snapped back into reality._

_Sherry looked to Dean with an apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry, Dean. What did you say?" She questioned._

"_Would you like to show Dwight his cabin?" He repeated patiently and with a kind smile._

_Sherry stood up quickly and walked past Dwight. "Yeah. Follow me," Sherry said as she didn't skip a beat. They didn't have to walk far as Sherry came to a cabin and fidgeted with the door. "You can have this one. We broke into the main building and took the master key. This cabin is all yours," she offered as the door opened wide. Dwight peered inside the dark room and saw that nothing had been touched. The bed was made like the housekeeper of the previous resort had cleaned it only minutes before._

"_Thanks," Dwight said then looked to Sherry. "Really, for everything. Bringing me into the group means a lot. I couldn't imagine another day of being all by myself."_

_Sherry waved him off with a small smile. "Think nothing of it. You seemed to be a good fit for the group. I…" The rest of her phrase was cut off as she stopped and listened. Dwight looked around and heard snarling then saw dozens of walkers descend upon their camp. Thankfully, their group hadn't been detected by the herd. He saw Dean, Haruki, and Takuya wave them down about the imminent danger as they headed inside another cabin together. Sherry too saw the imminent peril as Dwight gestured for her to come inside his cabin. She did so as he closed the door quietly then locked it. He then looked to Sherry as they stared at each other in silence._

_Dwight assumed that Sherry would have been a crying mess but instead she was calm and composed. Dwight then sat on the edge of the bed and loaded his crossbow in case he needed to use it as Sherry took a seat at a table besides the curtain-drawn window by the door. She had a shotgun in hand as they waited for the danger to pass._

_The snarling continued outside the window for hours as the walkers meandered around their camp. Every so often, they would see a silhouette beyond the drapes while Dwight watched as Sherry didn't even move a muscle and would just stare at the creature's shadow with no emotion. She would tighten her grip on her gun until the walker strayed away._

"_Impressive," Dwight whispered while sitting on his bed. His body had felt tense the whole time that they had been there and he was already exhausted by it. Sherry didn't even look like she broke a sweat._

_Sherry eyed him as if being awoken from her own thoughts but didn't seem irritated that he broke the silence. "What?" She asked._

"_You just seem so collected," Dwight commented with a shrug._

_Silence re-entered the room following his statement and he thought that he wouldn't receive a response. Minutes passed and he gave up on conversation altogether. "I would probably be more worried if I cared about living or dying. But I'm not afraid to die. That's all it is," Sherry whispered suddenly._

_Dwight needed no further explanation as her answer made sense to him. People had changed over the last two weeks. Survivors had to become dispassionate in order to get things done and not feel emotion in the process. Otherwise, their old lives and the miserable lives that they currently were in would eat at them slowly. Sherry seemed to be on the fence in regards to everything. However, Dwight saw her at the campfire and knew she continued to think of memories; even if she refused to voice it._

_He realized that everyone had to find a reason to live again if only to keep their humanity intact. Dwight lost his reason to live eight days ago. It took all he had to not walk up to a herd and let them tear him apart. _

_They stayed there for several more hours as the growling slowly faded away. Sherry finally stood up from her spot and glanced at Dwight. "We'll take a look around and then I'll take the first watch of the night," Sherry informed._

"_I can take the first watch, Sherry. I insist. It's probably almost morning anyways," Dwight reasoned. She was on alert for almost four hours and he felt bad to say that during that time he had started to doze off more than once._

"_You said were alone for how long? When was the last time that you had a good sleep?" Sherry asked Dwight as he was stumped by her question. He hadn't slept in days. "I had all day to relax; I'll be fine. But you need to get some rest."_

_Dwight thought it was tempting but it was the first time that he had been with people since his brother passed away. The trauma in that moment alone settled in while he walked for miles; always looking over his shoulder. He was finally able to be with people. It was refreshing and he was already having separation anxiety thinking that Sherry would leave him all by himself in his cabin. He knew that they would be just outside but the lack of sleep and going mad for a week wasn't helping his reasoning. "Why don't we take first watch together?" Dwight suggested. "Then when those guys are ready to go, we'll get some sleep. Sound good?"_

_She looked past him in thought and then made eye contact. He was almost floored by her demanding attention. She didn't even have to say anything for him to listen to her. But she gazed at him and could see that he wasn't ready to be unaccompanied after what he went through. After the eight days, he hated being alone. "Fine," she relented then opened the door as she started scouting around. He followed with a smile on his face. He would have to stick around Sherry to keep himself feeling as elated as he currently was. Even if an apocalypse surrounded him, he was glad to finally be around people._

…

Negan let Dwight guard the house in the mornings before Yolanda came to start the day. Negan trusted their group to fall in line based on his threats. Unfortunately for their group, Negan was right. Sherry was allowed to roam around Sanctuary in any way that she pleased but they hadn't really left Negan's house too much. Whether Sherry disliked the attention from Negan's men or another reason, she stayed confined to the house. Dwight noticed that Sherry liked to spend time in Negan's backyard and would often keep herself there.

Dwight kicked himself many times for telling Sherry that there was no other way around being Negan's wife. He still saw no other way but to squander any hope that she could have had was low. _What an asshole you are, _Dwight thought to himself. Negan threatened to kill everyone if she refused him and then she would have been put in the exact same situation regardless if her group was there or not. At least with them alive, they had a chance to come together and formulate a plan to escape Sanctuary.

The idea of Sherry sharing the same house as Negan didn't sit well with him at all. Dwight loathed Negan. Dwight thought it would be elementary to even think that Negan stole Sherry from him. Dwight hated Negan because of _how _he went about it.

The night that Negan came to them replayed in his head as he thought of everything that he could have done to prevent where they currently were. He should have saw the signs and the way that Negan looked at Sherry. He studied her from head to toe and lingered his gaze everywhere in between. It made Dwight's skin crawl that night. The more he thought about, the angrier he was at himself. He should have done something more.

They gagged and tied everyone's hand after Negan's group knocked Sherry out cold. Dwight fought tooth and nail to reach Sherry's unconscious body that rested at Negan's feet. The Saviors held him down and almost sliced his throat like they did to Hannah but Negan stopped his men from doing so. He ordered his men to take their whole group to Sanctuary instead as Dwight watched Negan pick up Sherry with ease. He carried her all the way to the court house.

Dwight was taken to another place then the rest of his group was as the Saviors took him into a long hallway in the court house in the upstairs. The room that they kept him in looked to be in bad shape as blood stains covered the tile floor beneath him. Tied to a chair and away from his group, he wondered how they were being treated and what their future held. In the past five and a half months, Sherry had become a friend to him. _More than that, _the thought instantly came to his head. He cared about Sherry a great deal and would raise hell if anything bad happened to her.

Dwight recalled when Negan spoke to him about his plans for everyone in their group.

"_I respect you," Negan began as he circled around Dwight's chair which stood in the center of the room. "You're a fighter. It took five of my men to tackle you to the fucking ground." Negan laughed as he thought back on the outrageous scenario. "That was pretty fun to watch. So take what is happening to you right now as an interview. You have applied for a job and I want to know more about you. First question: what's your weapon of choice?" Negan asked while facing Dwight as he ungagged him._

_Dwight coughed and breathed in heavy spouts when the gag was removed. After gaining composure and being able to breathe more freely, he cleared his throat to speak. "A crossbow," he answered._

_Negan looked at him and smiled. "You want to know something? My weapon of choice is very unique. I made it especially for the apocalypse. It's very effective and could blow the fucking brains off any poor asshole that I come across; living or dead." With that he produced his weapon which leaned against a corner of the room. Dwight eyed the gnarly baseball bat which had barbed wire on the end of it. "Beauty, isn't she? Her name is Lucille." Dwight could see that Negan didn't care to wipe off the fresh-to-dry blood that had collected from others who were unfortunate to meet Lucille face to face._

"_What's your name again?" Negan asked as he stood straight and circled once more around Dwight's chair as he lightly swung Lucille while in stride._

"_Dwight," he uttered angrily. That was not the way he had planned to die. He didn't like how out of control he felt in that moment and would have taken being overrun by walkers versus dying at the hand of Negan. In his scenario, he felt completely helpless._

"_Dwight, I am a man that expects things out of everyone that I come across. I want something from your group. A couple of things actually. It would help your group and myself if you would be my middle man. All you need to do is help your group comply. That way everyone wins," Negan explained darkly._

"_There is nothing that our group has that you can want," Dwight answered honestly. "All we have is what is on our backs; nothing of value. If you keep us that is more that your group has to ration for food and other goods."_

_Negan chuckled. "Don't discredit yourself too much, Dwight. Like I said, five of my men had to hold you down. Five!" He said in amazement. "So what I want from you and several others in your group is to join the Saviors. I am building an army out of Sanctuary that will bring order back into our new world. What do you fucking say to that?" Negan asked as he leaned down to be nose to nose with Dwight._

_Dwight spat in his face as a response. It was a bold move but he hoped that it would be a good answer to his proposal and a great last statement. Negan wiped his face calmly but smiled. "She is beautiful, isn't she?" Negan asked._

"_I don't give a fuck about your stupid baseball bat," Dwight spat._

"_That's not who I am talking about," Negan said as he circled again. "She has a lot of spunk left. That's pretty goddamn rare in our world. Then I wondered… When she was so willing to put her gun down to protect that old lady… Now I could pretty much get her to do anything that I fucking want her to, couldn't I?"_

_Dwight could feel his veins bulge on his neck when he put two and two together. He wished that his hands weren't tied so he could kill Negan on the spot. "You will not touch her," Dwight seethed._

"_I heard your little conversation with her before I came upon your group. You have the hot's for Sherry. She makes you feel really good. So I devised a plan. Care to hear it?" Negan asked as he nudged Dwight in the chest with Lucille._

_Negan didn't wait for an answer as Dwight only stared at the ground with indignation. "I've been looking for some tail to cozy up to at the end of the day. I saw her and I saw your group. I figured, fuck, this girl would really do anything if I raised the stakes high enough. What if I gave her an ultimatum? And you one as well. Sherry will be _mine_. If she refuses me, her group will be killed; including you. Also, she still would end up with me. But if she agrees, you all live and join my army. Only if you follow my instructions and the codes here," Negan relayed while almost excited at the proposition._

"_You fucking son of a bitch," Dwight muttered as he stared down at the floor._

_Negan lifted Dwight's chin up violently to have Dwight stare at him. Negan said his words slowly so Dwight couldn't be mistaken. "If you don't comply with everything I say, it won't be you that deals with the consequences. I will come after her. I know how you feel about her. You wouldn't want her to be dealt with unkindly, would you? No, I won't kill her. But I know of some things that are deemed unsavory," Negan said coldly._

_Dwight could see in his eyes that the man wasn't going to play games. He killed Hannah without even batting an eye. He knew that he would humiliate Sherry because of any mistake that Dwight had made and Dwight knew that he wouldn't be able to live with himself if that were to happen._

"_Well, i__f you need a little more leverage, Lucille needs to stretch her legs a bit." Negan stood in front of him in a stance like any baseball player would do when ready to bat. He wrapped his knuckles around Lucille and slowly started practice swings. Dwight started sweating knowing that he was going to die in a matter of seconds._

_Then a thought entered his mind. If he was alive, he could help Sherry eventually get out of Sanctuary along with the rest of his group. If he was dead, then Sherry's fate was sealed within their unforgiving world and he wouldn't be able to stop it._

_Negan's stance became more aggressive. He swung the bat behind his head as the bat started swinging towards Dwight's face. "What do I need to do?" Dwight said in a panic as Negan stopped the bat from hitting Dwight's face by a hair. He heard the bat swing pass as Negan started laughing uproariously._

"_Shit, that was a close fucking call!" Negan exclaimed as he beamed in delight. Dwight looked to the barbed wire that would have previously entered his skull. Negan propped the bat in the corner again as Dwight breathed heavily. "You are to be in my army with some of the guys in your group. That's it. Nothing else. Oh, and you can tell Sherry about her little job in all of this shit. You won't be seeing her much after that. So have your fucking moment and be done with it," Negan explained._

Dwight had constantly thought about when he was sent to tell Sherry about Negan's deal. Sherry looked so horrified when Dwight relayed Negan's intentions. He thought about their first kiss and how it was so sweet and so sorrowful at the same time. It was everything that he imagined it would be but the special moment was robbed of everything it should have been. It should have been a happier time.

Since then, he would wake up every morning on edge. He grew agitated with everyone around him including his own group. He went to thinking of one of his first encounters with Sherry. He strived to be as calm and collected as she was. No matter how many hours they were inside that cabin on the first night that he was in their group, she stood on guard and was ready to take on whatever burst through the door. Dwight had adopted that way of thinking since he became in Negan's army among the Saviors. He looked for every way to get them out of their situation. One day he hoped that it would pay off and that they could go free. Dwight could easily admit that that way of thinking was exhausting and it never ended. However it meant that Sherry had a shot at a normal life. He didn't care what the future held for him; only her.

He heard steps in Negan's house and looked around Sanctuary just in case anyone was suspicious. There was no one in sight as he walked inside. He knew he only had a sliver of a moment to speak to her in the morning. His steps were the most jovial than they had been since the last time he saw her as he took three steps at a time up the stairs. He saw Yolanda and Sherry in her bedroom as she was handcuffed to the bed.

"What the fuck?" Dwight asked immediately incensed. Yolanda quickly gave him the keys as he removed the cuffs from Sherry's wrist. Sherry's appearance only looked drowsy from sleep and nothing else. She looked at Dwight with somewhat embarrassment at her predicament as she sat up and gave Dwight a tight hug to which Dwight responded immediately. He knew he was wasting time but savored the hug regardless as he buried his face in her hair.

Their time together before Negan's reign wasn't anything too romantic. Occasionally, Dwight would express his interest in her but she would immediately pull away. She told him that she only feared to lose him which is why she didn't want to take part in any kind of serious relationship. Dwight understood but still let her know that he was ready for something whenever she was. It was only after their conversation and their first kiss that their friendship delved into a deeper level. At least it seemed that way to Dwight. He knew it could never be anything more with Negan in the way however with Sherry in his arms, Negan seemed like a minor detail.

They broke apart as Sherry retrieved something from her pillowcase; a letter. "Negan handcuffed me because he doesn't trust me yet," Sherry assured. "It's not a sick fantasy of his, I promise," she said in a light tease as she handed him the letter. "This is for you."

"Are you okay?" Dwight asked her. They locked eyes for several moments. Dwight could see her expression darken before him as he dreaded her response.

"It's definitely not a walk in the park but I'm hanging in there. Take this," She insisted and shoved the letter in his hand. "I don't want you to get caught being here. You said that you aren't supposed to be here so if he sees us that could mean no more letters," Sherry reasoned. Dwight knew she was right but it didn't make the leaving less agonizing. He had no idea what he was leaving her to defend herself from and it killed him.

"Alright," Dwight complied. It felt wrong to leave without so much as a handshake so he reached for her hand and squeezed it gently. Sherry held his hand tightly with a small and sweet smile. With a lot of self-control, he straightened up with the letter in hand. He stopped and looked back to her. "I will have one for you tomorrow. In response to your letter today." Sherry nodded in reassurance as he quickly vanished from the room.

…

He went to his house that he had shared with Dean, Yolanda, and Jenna. It was a nice Victorian home like most of the houses in Sanctuary. Dwight even had his own room that looked like it used to belong to a teenager that loved NASCAR. He took most of the decorations down because of how distracting it all was. There was still a wall sized mural of Jeff Gordon's car that appeared to be wallpapered on. He didn't even try to bother with that.

He was happy that Jenna got her own room that looked as if it previously belonged to a girl her age. It was pink with a canopy bed that looked to have cost a pretty penny but he hoped that it would help Jenna cope with the loss of her family. She had Yolanda as an adopted mother which seemed sufficient enough of a replacement but Dwight could still see how it hurt the younger girl to lose so much in so little of time.

He opened the door to the house and saw Dean reading a book in the living room. Jenna was attending school in Sanctuary's library along with Teegan and Troy. Dwight always expected to see Dean at the house during the day. "Find some good literature, Dean?" Dwight asked in passing as he took his jacket off.

Dean nodded. "Groucho Marx once said, 'Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read,'" he snickered at the joke and smiled at Dwight. "Did you know that I was a college professor before I retired?"

Dwight shook his head. "I'm sure that you have mentioned it before though," he answered.

"Humanities," Dean said with a proud smile. "One of my favorite stories was _The Allegory of the Cave _by none other than Plato. Heard of it?"

"I actually had to read that for my freshmen year of college," Dwight replied.

"It's a fascinating book about how a society can lead you to believe anything that they want you to believe. Have you noticed the Saviors? How they hang on every word that Negan says?" Dean asked.

Dwight nodded as Dean had a passion of likening old stories that seemed to repeat themselves throughout history. Dean continued, "In the end of the allegory, one of the prisoners who escapes returns back only to be killed by the other prisoners. They can't believe that there is something sustainable outside of their comfort zone which is the cave. Negan's men believe in his new world order. Anyone else who disagrees or threatens the comfort zone is killed." Dean lamented as he put down the book that was filled with writings of ancient philosophers. "Something to consider. But it's interesting how they won't let us leave to survive on our own. Isn't it?"

Dwight nodded again in agreement then slowly went upstairs without another word. He walked into his bedroom where he opened the letter from Sherry.

_Dear Dwight, _

_It's not bold of you to say that. If I am being honest with myself, I think about you a lot during the day as well._

_My side is a little difficult. Negan is trying to befriend me so perhaps we can delve into something deeper in the future…which unfortunately for him, it isn't going to happen. He killed Hannah and that's something that I don't have tolerance for._

_I do look forward to your next letter. It has given me something to look forward to while we're in Sanctuary._

_Negan has actually been more polite than I thought he would have been. I have my own bed while he goes to sleep in a different room altogether. _

_Whatever you do, please be careful. Negan has a lot of men and if he's suspicious of us, I don't see a way out of that predicament. _

_Sherry Ciccone_

_P.S. Please be careful if you ever play anything competitive with Negan. He is a sore loser._

_P.P.S. Also, you said that you can't see me. Why is that?_

He finished the letter and placed it on his bed. He was relieved that Negan was keeping to his side of the bargain and didn't take advantage of Sherry. Dwight then grabbed a pen and notepad from under his bed and leaned against the bed rail as he went to writing his response letter.

_Dear Sherry,_

_Ciccone, huh? That sounds…Italian? Whatever, it just sounds different than Johnson for example, okay?_

_I am being trained into Negan's army. For now, I mostly scout and scan around the gates to see if there is any danger that's heading our way. Their defense mechanism is pretty ingenious, I'll give Negan that. It's fucking impressive. My other duty is to watch Negan's house from the time he wakes up and leaves the house until Yolanda comes._

_To explain your question… Negan doesn't want me near you. I like you as more than just a friend. You know that, of course…but he also heard us talking before the Saviors ambushed our camp. I can't see you because you're unofficially married and off the market. He set his boundaries, I guess._

_These letters remind me of how I used to be before we were with Negan. I feel like since I have been here, I haven't really been the same. It's exhausting to find a weakness in this place. Because so far, there isn't one. However, the mornings when you wake up and the letters will be a great escape from this place._

_Yours truly,_

_Dwight Orlich…not Schrute_

Dwight looked at his letter in amazement. The Dwight on paper seemed so much more different than the Dwight he became in the last couple of days. He had hoped that his sense of humor would stay written on the pages for Sherry's sake as it appeared that he wasn't too far gone after all.

Someone knocked on the door and Dwight quickly stuffed the letter in his pillowcase and the notepad under his bed. "Come in!" Dwight said as casually as he could.

The door opened and it was Dean. "Negan is downstairs and said that he wants to chat with you," Dean informed as he looked to Dwight worriedly.

"Yeah. Okay, I'll be right there," Dwight replied as he stood up from his bed. "Did he say what he wants to talk about?"

"No. Watch your back though," Dean warned as per usual when it came to Negan.

Dwight nodded reassuringly. "I'll be okay," he said.

"You better be," Dean answered back and followed Dwight down the stairs. Dwight saw Negan waiting in the living room while reading the book that Dean was reading only minutes before. Dwight saw Negan's bandages on his knuckles and couldn't help but piece together that it was from the fight the night before.

"What's up?" Dwight asked blankly while only asking just to ask and didn't really care for the answer.

"Nothing much," Negan replied with a smile. As sadistic as the man was, he always had a grin on his face which threw Dwight off guard constantly. Negan placed the book on the coffee table in front of him and walked towards Dwight.

"Saw the fight last night," Dwight commented as he motioned with a nod of his head for Negan to step outside with him. Dean watched from the stairs with skepticism and almost a grimace towards Negan as Negan didn't pay the older man any attention whatsoever. They both walked off the porch and started walking towards the front gates.

"Yeah. It was a good one. Hansen was getting too cocky several nights ago. I was getting fed up with that shit. But I'm all bandaged up now. I'll be fine," Negan said while putting the concern on him instead of Hansen who probably deserved more of the sympathy.

They stepped onto the sidewalk as Negan looked to Dwight. "My men and I are leaving for a few days to scout for more people and other shit that we need for supplies. Maybe get some arrows for your new crossbow while we're at it," Negan notified.

"Bolts," Dwight corrected.

"Pardon?" Negan asked.

"You called them arrows. They're bolts," Dwight explained.

Negan raised his eyebrows then looked away. "Who the fuck cares? We're going to scout for those. I would like you to keep scouting the gates while we're gone. Make sure nothing comes our way. Soon enough, you'll be coming with us on our supply runs. When you're ready. But for now, you're watching the gates. Can I trust you to do that?" Negan asked carefully.

"Yeah. No problem," Dwight replied while in thought. He wondered how much easier it would be without Negan stopping them from leaving.

"Don't even think about it," Negan warned with a smile as if he read Dwight's mind. "I will still have most of my men inside Sanctuary while I am gone. Try any kind of shit and they'll let me know. We'll be gone for a few days or so. I need to pick up some taxes from others."

Dwight was confused and gave Negan a puzzled look. "Taxes?" He asked.

"Yeah. Our men offer protection for smaller groups around us. They give us half of their shit for payment. I mean, fuck, we do all that work for them. Sometimes they can be whiny bastards when we pick up our stuff though," Negan said with in annoyance. Dwight just assumed that they fell on some disagreements and it was enough to inconvenience Negan.

Dwight nodded but said nothing. He just wished that their group stumbled upon one of the smaller communities first before they were taken to Sanctuary. He would have taken being taxed over living in Sanctuary any day.

"Sherry is very good at shooting her guns. Did you help her with that?" Negan asked.

Dwight looked to Negan and shook his head. "No. She was already a better shot than I was before I met her," Dwight replied.

Negan gazed off into the distance in thought. When he looked back at Dwight he had a smirk fall on his lips. "What do you know about her?" Negan questioned.

"Not much," Dwight lied only so Negan wouldn't have anything to hold Sherry against. "Why?"

"I just wanted to know something that peaked her interests. Sherry is not an open book so I was wanting something that made it easier to get in her pants," Negan winked as he lightly slapped the left side of Dwight's face. Negan walked away while Dwight was fuming with what Negan just told him. That wasn't the first time that Negan tried to rub his "relationship" in his face. Dwight just stood on the sidewalk as Negan walked away with pride in his steps. Dwight could only think of how much he despised the man.

_Negan is going to be gone for a few days, _Dwight thought suddenly as realization kicked in. Slowly, his hatred for Negan simmered to the back of his mind while another concept came to the front. It was his turn to have pride in his steps as he imagined how much easier it would have been to talk to Sherry.

He walked to the gates and instantly heard snarling and growling. It only grew louder as he got closer. He wasn't bothered by it and it didn't worry him. He looked towards the gates and saw the horrifying scene in front of him. The gates were made of walkers of which were tied to the metal gates. As far as he knew, the gates around all of Sanctuary were identical. It probably took a lot of time and effort to make the gates come into effect but it was worth the labor. Walkers were one thing that Dwight didn't need to worry about and it gave him an opportunity to focus on other things. Such as getting out of Sanctuary as soon as possible.

Dwight's scouting area was on a tall roof by the gates. He climbed up the outside stairs and saw Hansen was already there sitting on the lounge chair. He almost looked ready to pass out at any second. "What the hell are you doing here, man? You should get some sleep," Dwight encouraged the older man.

"Negan expects me to work; not sleep in," Hansen said in a defeated voice.

Dwight knelt beside Hansen's chair and saw a bandage around Hansen's heel. "Negan do that too?" Dwight inquired.

Hansen shrugged. "I tripped off the curb when he came at me and sprained my ankle," he replied with almost disappointment in himself. "If that were back in the seventies that would have been a fair fight, I shit you not."

Dwight sighed as he overlooked Sanctuary. Hansen started to cough with a fury then groaned in protest. Hansen had to have been way past retirement age but Dwight could admit that he had a strong willpower to last as long as he had.

"So Negan is leaving for a few days. I was hoping that you could tell me what protocol is while he's gone," Dwight said as he looked up to Hansen.

Hansen exhaled deeply. "All I know is that all the men that are left behind are to guard the gates twelve hours in the day and then we rotate shifts," Hansen told.

"So walkers don't come in?" Dwight asked.

"So no one goes _out,_" Hansen corrected.

Dwight bit his lip as he thought to himself. "So no guards within Sanctuary?" Dwight questioned.

"No. Negan calls all of his men to guard the front gates and that's it. Don't get any ideas of leaving," Hansen cautioned.

Dwight stood up and walked towards the stairs. "I'm not," he called over his shoulder and almost ran down the steps.

…

"I'll be gone for a couple of days. My men will be shorthanded so you won't have guards at the house. Don't worry. The Saviors have a code to not take advantage of the women here. You'll be fine," Negan assured Sherry while he placed his backpack next to the door as she sat on the stairs. "You'll remain handcuffed throughout the night. Consider this a fucking trial run. If you don't get into trouble, then I'll rethink the cuffs for later times."

Sherry didn't like the idea of being all by herself in his house while being handcuffed. She didn't trust Negan but she knew Saviors wouldn't come inside his home while he was there. She was going to be all alone with nowhere to hide. On the other side, Sherry was ecstatic knowing that Negan wouldn't be breathing down her back for a few days. She could do whatever she wanted; except escape.

Negan sat next to her on the stairs and put a hand on the side of her neck. Sherry tensed at the touch and didn't let herself relax while Negan's hand fell down to her waist where his fingers were either too high or too low for her taste. It was too subtle to reprimand but regardless, it made her skin crawl.

"I think I might even miss you while I'm gone," Negan confessed coolly as he started stroking her hair.

"I don't feel bad for you," Sherry answered honestly.

As Sherry thought it would have made Negan stop, his face got closer to hers as his nose touched her cheek. He gave her a long lingering kiss on her jawline as Sherry closed her eyes shut wondering when it was going to stop and what she should do to get herself out of the situation.

"I _will_ miss you," he whispered as he continued to kiss her jawline then went down to kiss her neck.

Red flags were flying everywhere in Sherry's mind as she started to worry. "Negan," she began to say with warning in her voice.

He kissed her neck one more time. "Just a husband saying goodbye to his wife. Can you blame me?" He asked innocently. "You are fucking hot," he added less innocently.

Sherry looked at him in disgust as Negan shrugged it off then guided her into the bedroom upstairs. Her heart continued to race as he motioned for her hand and held the handcuffs expectantly. Sherry's panic of him doing something didn't leave as she looked to him with apprehension. But at the same time she wasn't sure what he considered to be a crossed line. If she denied him, would he take it out on her people? With that thought, she sat down and hoped that his intentions were a little more pure than she thought.

When she laid down, he clasped the handcuff around her wrist but bent over so his face hovered over hers. "Goodbye kiss?" He inquired confidently.

"Negan," Sherry nearly pleaded as Negan moved his face towards hers anyways.

"I promise that you won't be disappointed, if that helps," Negan pressed as Sherry didn't say anything. He was being pushier than he had been on other nights. Not an aggressive push, but Sherry still felt silenced with every one of Negan's attempts. She had seen Negan not in control and he had beaten or killed anyone that stood in his way. Sherry didn't want to lose her life because she denied him a kiss. She slowly nodded as Negan took the opportunity when he could and planted a kiss. His lips were on hers fiercely as she wanted the moment to be over as soon as it started. His tongue entered her mouth as felt discomfort physically and mentally. However, another part of Sherry enjoyed the kiss. She felt ashamed for even thinking it. The conflict that surged through her was silently taunting her as she tried to reject Negan's advances upon her mentality. She didn't like him. She refused to like him.

He broke the kiss and smiled while he still kept his face close to hers. "Wasn't as bad as you thought it was going to be," Negan said smugly.

Tears stung her eyes as she only stared at him in reply. Awe-struck, she could only think of a response in her head. _No, it was worse, _she thought.

Negan either pretended the awkwardness didn't exist in the room or didn't even feel it at all. He stood up straight and sighed. "I'll see you in about two days or less," Negan proclaimed and then left the room. Sherry could hear his footsteps on the stairs and then heard the front door slam shut soon after.

Sherry laid there for hours in complete shock. _What did I get myself into? _She couldn't believe how trapped she felt when she was around Negan. It was as if he gave her choices but she wasn't given the best results with the ultimatums that he presented to her. Sherry could feel herself become more isolated in Sanctuary. Not just within the walls but she didn't hardly see her friends. Whether that was Negan's intention or not, it was messing with her mind.

Sherry predicted that it had to be close to midnight when she heard footsteps slowly ascend up the stairs. At first, she thought it was her imagination running wild but then one of the floor boards creaked suddenly as Sherry could feel the color drain from her face. She breathed slowly and thought to keep her head on straight only to subdue the perpetrator if necessary. Although she was practically defenseless while being cuffed to the bed, she refused to be messed with. Sherry quickly stood up next to her bed as far as she could reach and faced the door while her heart raced with dread.

The door groaned eerily as it opened while Sherry could see a tall shadow looming in the hallway. He didn't stay long in that spot to remain ominous when the figure saw Sherry on the bed ready to take him on. Sherry heard keys jangle as he held them in his hand. From the moon's light that showed through the window, she could finally see who it was as he unlocked her handcuffs.

"Dwight?" She whispered as he looked to her with a smile. Much like their meeting earlier that day, she hugged him tightly when the handcuffs were gone. Dwight hugged her back with no restraint. "How did you get in here?" She asked him.

"All the men are watching the gates. It was easy. Mind if I stay for a bit?" He inquired with hope.

"Please," Sherry invited as he sat on her bed while she took her place beside him. "What are we going to do?" She quickly asked him.

Dwight shrugged as he made a noise of frustration. "I got nothing so far," Dwight responded but couldn't keep the grin from his face.

"What's the matter with you?" Sherry asked while his happy attitude was seeming to be contagious.

"I know that we are in a shitty situation right but I have never been happier to see you," he expressed.

Sherry thought about her previous encounter with Negan and couldn't help but compare them side by side. She stared at the sincerity that was in Dwight's countenance for a long time as she saw the stark difference that Negan left during their kiss. Sherry smiled wide and nodded her head. "Me too," she agreed as she could feel her body warm up by his presence alone.

Dwight took a deep breath through his nose as he leaned slightly towards Sherry but then thought better of it. Sherry was amused at how nearly flustered he was but decided to end his agony and leaned to kiss him tenderly. Their lips met as Dwight instantly put a hand behind her waist as she enjoyed every moment. Negan forced his passion on Sherry only hours before. She could sense the fervor behind Negan's kiss but because it was pushed on her, she didn't want to respond to it. It was easy for Dwight to send butterflies fluttering throughout her stomach. All he had to do was look at her and she would feel that way.

Dwight never let his hands wander as he kept them firmly on her waist and kissed her on a level that she had never experienced before. She knew that Dwight thought she was beautiful and wanted to be in a deeper relationship but the kiss was something deeper than attraction or lust. Sherry almost felt valued and sensed an adoration from Dwight. It was the same way she felt towards him.

Dwight stopped only to give her soft kisses on her jawline. "Is he still keeping his distance?" He asked in between kisses.

Sherry didn't want to tell him what she had just experienced before he got there so she nodded. "He's persistent but nothing too alarming," she revealed carefully hoping that he wouldn't get angry.

Dwight breathed a sigh of relief. "Good." He brought a hand to her face as he looked her in the eyes. She rested her hand on top of his and reveled in the time that she had with him.

"Let's hope that his supply runs are a common thing," he said with an enthused smile.

"I hope they are," Sherry concurred.

"Haven't seen you this happy since we were at the mansion," Dwight surmised.

Sherry felt a tinge of guilt as she looked to Dwight apologetically. "I'm sorry that it took a terrible situation like this to realize how short of time we have," Sherry admitted. "I wasted a lot of that time where I could have been much happier."

He kissed her briefly then wore a satisfied look. "So does that mean that you admit to liking me now?" Dwight asked playfully.

He put a hand through her hair as she stared at him honestly. "I have always liked you, Dwight," Sherry replied.

Dwight looked pleased to hear what she said as the air loomed into its melancholy again. "Life is short, Sher," Dwight said quietly as he planted another kiss on her lips. "Mind if I stay the night?"

Sherry nodded approvingly. "You aren't worried of being caught?" She asked.

"No. The only person allowed in the house while Negan is gone is Yolanda. And she isn't going to say a word," Dwight justified.

Sherry smiled as Dwight walked around to the other side of the bed to get comfortable. "She was kind of rooting for us," she revealed.

Dwight smiled and looked at her as she leaned on his shoulder. "I was too."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Dwight looked at Sherry sleeping soundly as he quietly put his boots on from the rocking chair in the corner of the room. He smiled to himself at their night spent together. They spent most of their time discussing what was going to happen and expressing their apprehension for the future. Yet it ended with an optimistic view which Dwight wasn't able to form all by himself.

He refused to think of any repercussions that could have happened if he had been seen with Sherry. If he dwelled on that thought, it would only cause him to rethink even looking in her direction. It felt so great to be around her and have a small amount of happiness in his miserable life. He managed to instead think of ways to not get caught rather than think of the negative effects that it would have.

He stood up and leaned over the bed to kiss her forehead then gazed at her a bit longer. He smiled to himself thinking about how lucky he was to have her and how he wouldn't have had the nerve to even speak to her if their world was still like it was six months ago.

It was still dark outside as Dwight wanted to use the advantage of the night's natural cover to slip out of Negan's house. He took one last look at Sherry and walked out of the door. For Sherry, he would make sure that he took extra precautions so she wouldn't be the one to get reprimanded. But as he thought of the future, he had to think of a way to get her out of Sanctuary altogether. No other plan was as important as that.

…

Sherry slept in a bit longer after Dwight left. She didn't sleep well with the thought that someone could see Dwight in her room. As much as she enjoyed him being there, she knew that they were walking on dangerous ground. However, she didn't feel guilty for him stay over. Sherry felt nothing for Negan. Their fake marriage wasn't anything real nor did she feel like she should be faithful to him. Although she prayed that he would never find out as she didn't know what would happen if he did.

She needed Dwight around for her sanity. She didn't realize how much she really liked him until they came to Sanctuary and then realized that a life with him was compromised. She inwardly cursed at herself that she didn't take advantage of the time she actually had with Dwight before Sanctuary was their new reality. Scared of the future, she always tried to keep a distance from him. Even if he was remarkably kind and sweet to her, she would shut down all the emotions that he invoked in her to make her life easier. She wished that she could go back in time and reverse her thought process. Life was short and she failed to enjoy the little joys that were still around.

Feeling rejuvenated and ready for the day, she heard the front door open and close. Steps travelled up the stairs as the door opened to her room with Yolanda poking her head inside. She had keys to the handcuffs in hand and ready to use but looked to Sherry with confusion as the handcuffs sat on the nightstand and not where they were supposed to be.

"Want to tell me how you got out of your handcuffs?" Yolanda asked in a surprisingly calm voice.

Sherry glanced to the cuffs and remembered that Dwight helped her take them off but they didn't even think to put them back on to be less suspicious.

"Care to explain?" Yolanda challenged as she leaned on the doorway with her arms folded. Sherry was almost taken back to a time where her mother would scold her for times she would sneak around with her high school boyfriend.

Sherry looked at her with pleading eyes as she stood up from her bed. "Dwight was here," Sherry confessed honestly. "I'm sorry?"

Yolanda just nodded as a small smile crept on her face. "I figured. That's probably why it took me awhile to find these keys this morning. They weren't in the same place that I had left them," Yolanda replied and placed the keys in her pocket.

"Are you going to say anything?" Sherry asked hoping that she knew Yolanda and trusted her enough to keep their secret.

Yolanda shook her head. "Heavens no!" She answered and sat down on the bed and gestured for Sherry to sit beside her. "Sweetie, you are in this house to save our lives! You are here because of me and everyone in our group. We all owe you a considerable amount. Keeping your relationship with Dwight discreet wouldn't even come close to repaying you. I am more than happy to keep my lips sealed."

Sherry hugged her in a tight embrace as that was the response she wanted to hear. "Thank you so much, Yolanda," she whispered.

"No worries," Yolanda said then looked Sherry in the eye. "We don't have a full agenda with Negan around. So what would _you_ like to do?"

"I want to walk around the perimeter of Sanctuary," Sherry said immediately as she stood up and looked in the dresser for some clothes other than her tank and sweats that she was currently wearing.

"Any reason why?" Yolanda questioned.

"I'm curious, antsy, and want to observe our surroundings while being as thorough as possible," Sherry admitted. "What's so special about these gates that I keep hearing about?"

"Oh, you'll see," Yolanda said as she winked and looked to the bed. "You should make your bed. It looks obvious that there were two people sleeping on it last night."

Sherry scanned to see the covers appeared to look like two people had rolled out of bed on both sides. She nodded in agreement as they both made the bed.

"So how was it?" Yolanda asked with a subtle grin when they were finished.

Sherry tilted her head to the side confused at the question. "How was _what_?" She asked.

Yolanda's eyes grew bigger and she nudged her head to make it seem like the topic was evident.

Sherry finally got what she was referring to as her jaw dropped. She quickly laughed it off and beamed to Yolanda. "No! Dwight and I…we didn't do _that_ last night! We talked. End of story," she revealed.

Yolanda snickered then sighed with slight disappointment. "Too bad. I haven't read a Cosmo in a while so I was hoping for some juicy details," she divulged.

Sherry shook her head but the smile remained on her face. "I'm not the kind of person that would give out details anyways so I apologize in advance once that comes up," she said regretfully.

Yolanda feigned a pout but then laughed at their conversation. They headed downstairs and ate a small breakfast of various canned fruit. Sherry hoped that Negan would be away more often. It felt nice to be in Sanctuary with him gone and she hoped that it would be a frequent occurrence.

…

"_Okay, Haruki. Dean is going to teach you how to shoot today. You too, Tak," Dwight said as he nodded to both men. "The rest of us are going deer hunting!" He said to their group with a hopeful grin as everyone smiled back with a few shouting victory yells. They were all in good spirits and hadn't seen a single walker in days. That morning as they all emerged from their tents, they saw dozens of deer in their camp. However, one of the kids made a loud noise of wonder which sent them all running away swiftly._

_It had been a month since Dwight joined Sherry's group. Their little cabins were eventually overrun by a herd which made them have to leave very suddenly. Since then, Dwight and Sherry became the de facto leaders. They spoke a lot about what to do and where their group would go next. The situation pleased Dwight because it was the only way that Sherry would communicate with him. Although it didn't stop him from trying to have other conversations with her, their talks were very short lived. Other moments he got the best out of her and saw that her interest in particular subjects peaked and they would speak for a good five minutes. Dwight could have complained that five minutes wasn't as long as he would have liked but he would take whatever he could get._

_Their group joined up with more people since their time at the lake resort. It included Jason and his family: his wife, Terri; and their children Teresa, Todd, Teegan, and Troy. Dwight was almost envious that the McCoy family was completely intact. He would have killed to have his brother return to be by his side. _

_There was another woman named Yolanda with her "adopted" daughter Jenna. Yolanda told the group that Jenna's parents were overtaken by walkers. When Yolanda found Jenna, she was all alone and afraid. They were together ever since._

_One other member named Hannah took a liking to Dean. Dean appeared shy in return to her attempts to get to know him a little better. One of her tactics worked when Hannah discovered that Dean took a liking to subjects about existentialism. Other members joined their group but their presence was brief with walker attacks._

_They all parted ways for their deer hunt and agreed to meet at the camp at noon and no later. Deer hunting was the most exciting thing that they had done in weeks. It was nearly monotonous to try and survive. There was a lot more walking than what Dwight was used to before. With hunting, it gave them all of them a goal which made them feel useful. If they caught a deer, they would have a great night filled with laughter and a sliver of peace and hope._

_Dwight's hunting partners were his crossbow and Sherry. He learned to use a crossbow in college years ago for recreational use. It ended up being a fun hobby with him and his brother on weekends. While they were at the cabins, he practiced with a carved target on a tree and didn't let up until he hit the bull's eye one hundred consecutive times and was a good distance away for every single shot. He would also have target practice with any walker that happened to meander near their camp whether they noticed him or not. It had been awhile since his hunting trips with his brother and he wanted to make sure that his aim was the best that it could be._

_Dwight and Sherry walked for a bit while Dwight was looking at the ground for any signs of deer tracks. He saw nothing. Absolutely nothing. However Sherry was following right behind him so he decided to fake it until they reached something that appeared to be a good sign._

_Sherry finally broke the silence. "See anything?" She asked._

"_Honestly?" Dwight started to confess. "I don't know what I'm doing. I have zero experience tracking."_

_Sherry stifled a laugh. "I figured as much," she confessed._

"_Really? How so?" Dwight asked feeling sheepish._

"_Because we circled that tree about five times now," she replied as she pointed to a birch tree nearby._

_Dwight looked at her with feigned shock. "I don't know what's worse. Me pretending to know how to track or you silently laughing at my severe lack of ability to do so," Dwight muttered with amusement._

"_We'll call it even. How about that?" Sherry suggested lightly._

"_Oh, hold on a second," Dwight said quickly as he looked at the mud behind her, "I see something." He knelt down and moved a shrub over to the side to get a better glimpse. "Ha! Look! Deer tracks!"_

_Sherry knelt beside Dwight to survey the spot that he was looking at. Dwight tried to avoid how she leaned into him to get a better view and how great her hair smell despite not having the easiest access to clean themselves besides nearby rivers. She still smelled great. Sherry then glanced to him with approval as he looked away to pretend that he was unaffected by her closeness. "What do ya know. Those are actual deer tracks," Sherry gazed upwards where the tracks led and pointed east. "Let's say we follow them for a bit?"_

_They both stayed crouched down to get a better look at the deer tracks beneath them. The tracks turned south and they followed. "I don't know about you but I'm feeling pretty cool right about now," Dwight remarked._

"_You should," Sherry encouraged. "I myself would have never imagined that this was something I would have done in my lifetime."_

"_Oh yeah? I take it your family wasn't huge on hunting?" Dwight questioned._

_Sherry didn't answer. _Typical, _Dwight thought. "How are you so good at shooting?"_

_Still no response. That was how all of their conversations would go. They would discuss business about the group, have a good laugh about something that pertained to the subject, then Dwight would ask about her life before as silence ensued. Things got quiet again as they looked to the tracks. When the deer came to a rockier area, they soon lost the deer tracks. They backtracked and headed northwest to get back to their camp._

_Disheartened, Dwight let out a sigh. "Well, I'm feeling less cool since we didn't find the deer," he admitted heavily._

"_We can't be too hard on ourselves," Sherry said with empathy. "We'll get better at this as time goes on."_

"_This hunting trip just had everyone in high hopes, ya know," Dwight complained. "Hopefully someone else had found something today. Just to keep that feeling going."_

_Sherry stopped suddenly as Dwight nearly ran into her. "Do you see that? I don't think those belong to us," Sherry stated. Dwight looked around him and wondered if they were alone. They all scattered in different directions on their hunt for deer. He assumed they were separate from the group by a considerable measure. Unless it came from someone they didn't even know._

_They heard a noise in the far distance as Dwight gently pushed down on Sherry's shoulders so they could crouch down. Sherry gazed around while reading into Dwight's alarm then looked to him in question. "Think it could be other survivors?" She asked as quietly as she could. "That could be my footprint."_

"_Someone else is here. We just need to be careful just in case it's a walker," Dwight cautioned then looked to the tracks in the dirt beside Sherry. "Measure your foot to compare."_

_Sherry slowly slid her foot beside it and discovered it wasn't a match. It was close but not the same. Dwight didn't even bother as his feet were a lot bigger than Sherry's. He could already tell it wasn't his footprint._

_When several more minutes passed, they didn't hear another noise and figured that whoever or whatever made the sound previously had moved on. Sherry stared at the ground while trying to shut down the rest of her senses so she could only focus on her hearing. Dwight did the same but stared at her the whole time while being somewhat distracted by her innate ability to concentrate. There was a lot more to Sherry than met the eye. She was beautiful to him but she also exuded many more qualities that he wished to have possessed. Granted, she was the only woman around that was around his age, and he would have pointed her out even in a crowded room based on that alone. He imagined a lot of other guys would have thought the same._

_Satisfied by the feeling of being alone again, Sherry slowly got up from her crouched position as Dwight instantly heard a gunshot go off. Dwight turned to see where the sound came from as he stood up in a panic. He surveyed the forest as subtly as he could to see Dean, Takuya, and Haruki behind some greenery as they crouched in the far distance on a hill behind a boulder. Haruki had a smile on his face until he saw Dwight come out in a more clear area to see them. Then his face wore a horrified expression. _

_Things happened so fast that Dwight didn't even think to look at Sherry before that moment. He turned around to see Sherry appear to be in complete shock as her body started to sway slightly. Dwight didn't even notice that she stumbled backwards a bit from the blast. She brought her hand up to her shoulder that was instantly stained with red. Sherry looked from her shoulder to Dwight then started to shake. "Holy shit, Dwight! I think I just got shot," Sherry said quietly in utter disbelief. Dwight heard her repeat herself quietly over and over again the same phrase. "I got shot…Jesus, I got shot."_

"_Sherry!" Haruki called as he ran down the hill. It was the first time Dwight had to refrain from lifting his crossbow towards another human being. Inside, he was livid and knew that Sherry could have been killed if she wasn't already dying. Dwight had never felt the urge to kill another person before. It was like an itch that he couldn't scratch. It didn't help as Haruki moved closer towards them. "Oh no, Sherry! I thought you were a deer! I couldn't see you clear enough!" Haruki exclaimed upon arrival._

"_I told you to fucking wait until you knew for certain that it was a deer!" Dean reprimanded sharply._

_Her pupils started to dilate as she looked to everyone around her but then attempted to zero in on Haruki. "You shot me?" She questioned then started to stumble around on her feet even more._

"_Sherry," Dwight panicked as he caught her before she fell flat on her face. He turned her over and examined her wound. Dwight's blood ran cold upon seeing so much red. "We need to stop this bleeding. Do you guys have anything to put pressure on it?" The blood from her shoulder quickly trickled down to Dwight's lap beneath her and the bottom of his shirt. "Shit, you guys! I need something now!" He yelled._

_Dean handed Dwight his bandana from his pocket that usually stayed on his forehead. Dwight grabbed it and wound it around as tightly as he could without cutting off the circulation. "Did the bullet go clean through?" Dean asked as he knelt down to observe for himself._

_Dwight lifted Sherry towards his chest to look at the back of her shoulder and shook his head in response. "No," Dwight answered as panic started filling in. The bullet was still inside of her shoulder. He wasn't a doctor. He didn't know what it meant to have a bullet still lodged inside flesh but knew it couldn't have been good._

"_We have to take her back to camp," Dean urged as he straightened up. "We need to get that bullet out and her wound clean. Terri is a nurse. She knows what needs to be done," Dean said quickly as he ushered Takuya and Haruki towards their camp. "Do you need help carrying her?" Dean asked Dwight as he turned around to see if he was following._

_Dwight looked at Sherry's face and saw her eyes rolling behind her forehead. Her skin started taking on a paler complexion from her usual olive skin tone. "Sherry! Dean what do I do?" Dwight panicked._

"_Pick her up and try to get her to engage in conversation while we walk to camp!" Dean instructed in alarm as he led the way._

_Dwight carefully scooped her off the ground and carried her as Dean watched to check and see if he was able to on his own. When Dwight seemed stable enough, they headed toward camp almost in a jog. She started to sob quietly in her state of shock. Dwight never heard her cry before and felt the urgent need to rectify her pain. "Sherry, you are going to be okay. Do you trust me?" Dwight asked softly. He didn't know what else to say to comfort her as the whole scenario terrified him._

_Sherry responded in muffles under her breath. Blood was soaking Dean's bandana and Dwight could feel the dampness of blood just above his shirt. Her eyes were starting to close while Dwight fought the urge to burst into hysterics himself. "What was that, Sherry? I couldn't hear you," Dwight said as if he was speaking to a five year old. He only wanted her to respond back like Dean urged him to do._

"_I said…that I trust you," Sherry whispered so quietly that Dwight could barely hear it over Haruki's bawling up in front of him. He knew that shooting Sherry was an accident but until Sherry was feeling better, he knew it was a preferred idea to avoid him. Otherwise he would punch him for all the unnecessary emotions that he seemed to cause._

_When they finally made it to camp, Jason's family was kneeling over a deer carcass as Jason began gutting it. In any other situation, Dwight would have been extremely happy that their deer hunt was a success. However, Dwight no longer had an appetite. They arrived to their camp just in time as Dwight was losing his patience with Haruki by the second. Periodically, Haruki would turn around to look at Sherry then start his wave of cries once more. Dwight would just roll his eyes and wonder how Haruki knew so little about survival. Sherry was shot in the shoulder and was crying less than he was._

"_Terri!" Dwight yelled while holding onto Sherry as he ran over to her tent. "We need your medical supplies – NOW!"_

_Terri looked up from assisting Jason with the deer and instantly her face showed a great amount of worry. "Was she bit?!" She frantically asked._

"_No, some _asshole_ shot her," Dwight said while meaning for his statement to bite. He wasn't even trying to sound nice for Haruki's sake which in turn made Haruki cry yet again._

_Terri disappeared into her tent and came out with her medical supplies that she had collected in their supply runs. She went straight into Sherry's tent to see that Dwight had already placed Sherry down on top of her sleeping bag. He could see Haruki in the middle of the camp while staring up to the sky and wailing. Takuya walked up to the tent and zipped it up only sensing Dwight's increasing annoyance._

_Terri observed the wound and instantly pushed down with some clean towels. Sherry yelled instantly and went to slap Terri on instinct in her delusional state. Dwight caught her left hand before it struck Terri and held it in his hand tightly while interlacing his fingers with hers. Terri would take her tweezers to observe where the bullet was and then would quickly dry the spot to clear her view once more. "No arteries or veins were hit," Terri mentioned while watching the flow of Sherry's blood. "Which means that she'll live. We just need to get that bullet out of there. It's deep and I don't have all the things that we need to keep her comfortable. Dwight," Terri cautioned as she rested a hand on his forearm. He broke away from watching Sherry's face with concern and stared at Terri in question. "It's going to be extremely painful for her. But if I don't get that bullet out, it could risk infection or mess with her joints for the rest of her life."_

_Suddenly, their attention was averted back to Sherry who started to shake violently. Dwight continued to hold her hand then put his other palm to her right hip to try and keep her still as if it would help. "What's happening now?" Dwight questioned to Terri hoping she had an answer that wasn't life-threatening._

"_She is experiencing shock from the amount of blood loss! It'll die down! All we can do is wait," Terri said._

_Sherry continued to shake for what seemed like centuries to Dwight. Then her body lost its tenseness as parts of her body would twitch to a stop. Her eyes started to close as Dwight put a hand to her cheek fearing the worst. "Sherry?" He called._

_Terri checked for vital signs and sighed thankfully. "She's fine. It's better for her to be still for this next part. I think her being unconscious might be for the better," Terri said as she retrieved some other medical supplies from her bag to prepare for getting the bullet out. Just then the tent door opened and the kids of their group started piling into the tent and sitting in the far corner. "Sweethearts, you really don't want to be in here to see this right now," Terri practically scolded while her voice still carried a sense of calm at the same time. She was the only reason why Dwight wasn't panicking as much as he felt he ought to be. _

"_Dad told us to come in here," Teresa told in a sharp whisper. "Walkers are coming!" Dwight listened and heard their growls descend upon their camp which was followed by the sound of knives swooping into flesh from his group._

"_With Haruki's cries, I'm sure a lot are coming," Dwight seethed and felt a little better to place blame on someone for all the bad that was currently happening._

"_Kids! I want you to either turn your heads or close your eyes," Terri advised as she looked to Dwight. He nodded and held Sherry's arms down to her sides. "Teresa," Terri said and looked to her only daughter. "I need you to get a needle and thread ready to go. Can you do that for me, honey? You don't have to watch the surgery. Just focus on the thread. Do it for Sherry. She needs you."_

"_Yes," Teresa answered timidly as she reached for her mom's supplies._

"_This won't be easy. There will be a lot of blood so it'll be difficult to keep my eye on the bullet. She might wake up while I do this." They continued to hear knives penetrating rotted bodies just outside the tent._

"_You fucking bastards aren't gonna touch my deer!" Jason yelled almost in a happy tone. He was rough around the edges but seemed to thrive in their new world._

_Terri cleaned the area the best that she could and held the tweezers close to Sherry's shoulder. She took one deep breath as the tweezers plummeted into Sherry's wound. Dwight watched Sherry carefully for any signs of consciousness. "The bullet is lodged into her humerus pretty good and I can't grasp it well enough to get a sturdy enough grip. I might need to make her wound larger," Terri sighed._

"_How?" Dwight asked as he looked to Sherry with concern. What Terri said didn't sound good._

"_I have to force it. Which means more stitches," Terri said then took another deep breath, "Here I go." Terri put her fingers close to the edge of each side of the tweezers and plunged back into Sherry's shoulder. Instantly, Sherry woke up from her blacked out state and started to scream as her body flailed. Dwight saw that every move Sherry made would make her shoulder wound open even more as Terri stuck her fingers out of Sherry's shoulder to prevent extra damage. The kids started to weep as they kept their backs facing away from Sherry._

_Dwight moved to lay down next to Sherry as he positioned himself to wrap his arm around Sherry's upper body to hold her completely still with his own strength. He couldn't believe the adrenaline that was being given to her. Tears started to fall from Sherry's eyes and onto her sleeping bag as she started to cry helplessly. Dwight had to avoid it only so he could focus on what Terri needed him to do._

_Finally Terri's fingers left Sherry's shoulder with the tweezers and a bullet. She looked mildly triumphant as Sherry easily sensed that everything was back to normal. Dwight eased his grip around Sherry as she started to sweat off all the adrenaline that she had only moments before. Terri's face then wore concern as Sherry started to make gagging noises. "Uh oh," Terri exclaimed as she searched around for something in case Sherry had to puke. Dwight sat up and saw a trash bag with Sherry's belongings and quickly emptied it. They both helped Sherry sit up as Dwight put the trash bag underneath Sherry's chin just in time for her to empty whatever she had in her stomach. With his other hand, he held her ponytail back while Terri held a cloth to Sherry's shoulder. Maternally, Terri wiped the sweat from Sherry's forehead then looked to her daughter who was sitting close by. "Teresa, is the thread ready for me?" She asked kindly._

"_Yes," she said quietly. She gave her mom the thread while displaying a small look of admiration for her mother._

"_Thanks, honey," Terri complimented then glanced at Sherry who appeared to be somewhat lucid._

"_Sherry, I just took the bullet from your shoulder. Now I need to stitch it up. I opened the wound up more and that's what made that whole ordeal more painful than it had to be. But at least you can feel better knowing the next part won't be as bad. It'll sting though," Terri said as she walked through everything like any nurse would have done. Sherry hung on her every word but looked exhausted. "After that, it'll be routine checkups and a lot of rest. The worst is over. You did so well!" She ended with a smile then took the thread and needle from Teresa and started setting up the next process._

"_Thanks," Sherry muttered almost in a relieved voice that it was almost over. Dwight smiled knowing that she was going to be okay and was glad that she seemed to be responding at all._

"_We'll keep the trash bag here just in case," Dwight said to her but put it over to the side._

_Sherry watched him but then looked embarrassed as she scrunched up her eyebrows. "Did you stay for all of that?" She asked._

_Dwight nodded. "Terri needed my help. I was more than willing," he answered and smiled._

_Sherry smiled tiredly. "I'm glad you were here," she admitted as Dwight stared at her. He was genuinely touched by her words since that was the most sentimental of a thing that she had said to anyone. It rang sincere as he returned a grin in her direction._

_Sherry indeed needed the trash bag several more times during while Terri worked silently. To give Sherry some privacy, he wouldn't look at her while she was probably at a low point in her life. He instead stared around the tent that she shared with Yolanda and Jenna. Periodically, his eyes were drawn to some of the things that Dwight had dumped from the trash bag. She didn't have much but what stood out was a cell phone and charger. Finding it odd that she kept it despite it being useless in their new world, he was intrigued regardless._

_Suddenly the tent opened as Jason poked his head in with a satisfied smile. "The deer wasn't touched during that whole debacle, thank you very much," Jason said while congratulating himself. "But the coast is clear!"_

_Dwight was relieved at what Jason said but then Jason turned his attention to Dwight and looked somewhat uncomfortable. "Haruki would like to speak to the two of you," Jason announced as his nodded to both him and Sherry, "Kids, you guys can come out now." The children didn't wait to be asked twice. They were more than happy to leave the smell of puke and blood behind._

_Haruki slowly entered the tent soon after but his face turned green at the sight of so much bloodied cloths surrounding Terri. Trying to stay focused on what he set out to do, he stared at Dwight and cleared his throat. "I have come to say that I am sorry. Today I have learned that refusing to handle a gun not only brought danger to myself but brought even more to my group. From now on, I will learn everything there is to know about survival. I will no longer complain about our life. I am forever in your debt," Haruki spilled the words out fast as Sherry let his words sink in._

"_You didn't mean to shoot me, did you?" Sherry asked roughly. She winced as Terri punctured her with the needle once more._

"_No!" Haruki exclaimed innocently as he shook his head vehemently. "No, I didn't!"_

"_Then there is nothing to forgive. Accidents happen," Sherry said in a final tone and looked him straight in the eye with a face that Dwight thought was both terrifying and almost attractive. Dwight could deduce that Sherry was well-practiced in the art of the death glare but it was something about it that demanded some attention. Haruki nodded and tried to smile only to make her stop looking at him that way. At least Dwight wasn't the only one that found Sherry to be intense at times._

"_Thank you, Sherry," Haruki said in a small voice and left._

_Terri finished and then cut the thread. "It is all done, my dear," Terri exclaimed sweetly. "Please rest up a bit. We have real food tonight if you are hungry."_

_Terri nodded to Dwight then left as he soon realized that they were alone in the tent. Sherry looked at him with the same awkwardness but something had changed between them. It was their first life or death situation that they had endured and Dwight thought they persevered well. There was a level of trust that hadn't been established before. She glanced at him with admiration and pursed her lips. Soon she held a hand to her forehead which broke their little stare-off. Dwight fidgeted as he nodded to the middle of their camp. "I…um…I should help out with cooking the deer. Will you be okay?" He asked._

"_Yeah. I'm a little tired," she said and tried to tie up the trash bag but made a face when she moved her shoulder. Dwight was more than willing to help her and took it away from her. "The smell just makes me want to yak again." She looked at him apologetically._

"_No problem," he replied and left without another word. He closed the tent door behind him and saw that Haruki and Takuya were making one fire for the walker carcasses and the McCoy family was making a fire for the deer._

_Ultimately, as terrifying at the situation had been, something had changed in the dynamic between him and Sherry. He liked the change. Happy for some breakthrough, he quickly disposed of Sherry's trash bag and walked over to help with the deer. It ended up not being too bad of a hunting trip._

…

"It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" Yolanda asked past the white fence in front of Negan's yard. Sherry changed her clothes to her combat boots, brown pants, and a navy zip up hoodie. She wore her long hair in a side braid as she looked from one side of the street to the other. She smiled and nodded at Yolanda's question as she enjoyed not being cooped up in the house and out of Negan's company at the same time.

"Today we get to find an escape route," Sherry said in passing so quietly for Yolanda's ears only. Yolanda remained quiet and looked as if she had something to say but thought better of it. Sherry waited for Yolanda to respond but as they continued their walk she grew slightly impatient. "C'mon. What do you want to say?"

"Sherry, we have to be smart about this," Yolanda muttered as they walked past the old police station. "There is no way that we can sneak past all the Saviors."

Sherry wanted to inquire more into Yolanda's hesitancy but then heard growling up ahead. She took her eyes off of Yolanda and stared at the gate that she heard so much about. "Shit," Sherry muttered as she continued to stare at the horrendous sight. The metal gate was lined up with walkers from bottom to top. They were all contorted so close to each other that Sherry would have been surprised if sunshine could get through. Sherry was disappointed at the ingeniousness of the idea but couldn't help but gawk at the grandeur of it. "This isn't good for us."

"If we get too close to the gates…" Yolanda started to say but Sherry knew where she was going with it.

"The walkers start to growl," Sherry finished for her. "This is why herds aren't an issue here, right? The walkers that are roaming can't pick up our scent."

"It will be very difficult to get out of here, Sherry," Yolanda said quietly towards Sherry in a defeated tone.

"There has got to be a weak spot," Sherry said confidently. "Let's search the whole perimeter and see if anything looks promising at all." They started at the front gates and would casually look around the whole area as they intended to walk throughout all of Sanctuary. Sherry looked up to see Dwight at the top of one of the buildings. He gave one glance back but went back to business to avoid scrutiny. He spoke to the man beside him who Sherry recognized as the poor soul that Negan beat up several nights ago.

Yolanda seemed to expect that Sherry would take her time to survey particular areas but she just continued to walk with her hands behind her back. Sherry noticed the guards would look at her every time that she would so much as glance towards the gate.

Sherry was surprised at the circumference of the town. She would sometimes look towards the town and be surprised that it looked unrecognizable from the few places that she had seen previously. Most of the old Victorian homes looked to be in fine condition. Sanctuary wasn't the cleanest place that she had lived in but in comparison to what her group saw before, it looked like a paradise.

There was a constant hum of the walkers moaning on the fence that Sherry had grown accustomed to long before Sanctuary. It was somewhat odd that when they heard it within Sanctuary's walls and that it wasn't so panicking. Sherry could understand why people followed Negan. He gave them something to hold onto. Security was a commodity that not many people could afford.

Suddenly, Sherry stopped in her tracks and stared at one spot at the gate that caught her eye. The guards looked at her suspiciously but said nothing. Yolanda peered up to the guards on building roofs and bowed her head as she silently urged Sherry to move on. Sherry knew her inspection of the gate looked irregular from what other people in the community were doing. So she straightened up and walked around Sanctuary once more.

They passed children singing in a building as Sherry assumed that it used to be a library and was repurposed as a school. Sherry smirked knowing that Sanctuary was more than just its leader and the façade to make it look better than it was could almost be never-ending. Teegan, Troy, and Jenna were inside as they appeared happy to be there.

They also passed an old post office that was remodeled to be a small hospital. "Terri is in there," Yolanda said as she nodded towards the building. "They have three doctors on hand here. Terri is one of twelve nurses. The doctors are training them all for the jobs that they do just in case anything happens to them. That way Sanctuary is never without."

"Why does there have to be an under belly to this place? Besides the leader, this place is nearly perfect," Sherry said sadly. "They even have a soundproof shooting range at the police station."

"I know," Yolanda said gravely. "This place is what we have always wanted."

Sherry's stomach churned as she had to be the one to deal with Negan. It wasn't even close to what she wanted. "That's the draw though," Sherry pondered out loud.

"What?" Yolanda asked only so she could clarify.

"This place protects people but at what cost? We didn't choose to stay here but every second that we waste our time here is a second that we forget who we are," Sherry said as they walked back to Negan's house. "We are still prisoners here. Don't forget that."

When they returned back to the house, they sat on the front porch with iced tea in hand. Sherry still shook her head at every detail that was thought of to make it feel like such an inviting place. It was all used to pull everyone in and forget how terrible the reality was.

Yolanda stirred her tea and looked to Sherry who was still observing everything around her. "I have to say this, Sherry," Yolanda began. "The guards were watching you like a hawk when you were checking the fence close by the houses. It looked very obvious that something caught your eye."

Sherry smiled and raised her eyebrows. "Do you think that they will put more guards around there just in case?" She inquired with no hint of worry.

Yolanda looked to Sherry with leery eyes but nodded.

"I don't want to try and escape there. But I wanted them to think I did. The real place that I want to try and form a plan around is behind the library," Sherry said in a low voice as Yolanda scooted closer to hear her. "No guards on top of that roof because it's too angled. The area around it has overgrown bushes behind it where the gate is nearby. We could easily sneak out without any attention towards us. We have to tell the rest of the group that that's our best bet."

"What happened with waiting? Or gaining Negan's trust?" Yolanda questioned.

Sherry fidgeted in her seat. "I don't know if I want to wait that long," she confessed.

Yolanda looked out at the street with obvious worry on her face.

"What's wrong?" Sherry inquired.

"I'm worried about this, Sherry. What if we get caught?" Yolanda asked as she stared back towards Sherry.

Sherry sat and thought about it. "That is a possibility," she said quietly and sat back in her chair but stared at Yolanda to try and read her hesitance. "Yolanda, before we even try this, I will make sure the plan is flawless so no one has to get hurt."

It took a moment for Yolanda to respond with anything but after several seconds she gave a small smile and looked to her lap. "I know you will," Yolanda said while almost assuring herself. "And we will try our best to get you out of this place."

"Maybe we'll find a place like this," Sherry reasoned while trying to ease Yolanda's nerves. "This can't be the only community out there."

Yolanda gave another smile as Sherry knew it didn't help. "I hope so," she said.

Sherry smirked back slightly but was somewhat annoyed. Yolanda was acting as if she didn't want to leave at all which bothered her. However, she felt bad asking her group to plan an escape at the same time. Sanctuary was the most safe that they had felt since they left the mansion several months ago. Things grew complicated in Sherry's mind the more that she thought about everything involving Sanctuary or Negan. Perhaps asking Yolanda to help at a time where nothing bad had happened within the walls wasn't the strongest strategy. On the contrary, Sherry didn't want to wait for a time where they wished that they took an opportunity to escape sooner. She needed to engage her group at a time where they would be more convinced.

Sherry sighed deeply and wanted to bury her thoughts for a small measure of time. "Let's forget about all of this for now and enjoy the day a bit? Any good reading from the books at the library?" She questioned as she stood up from her wooden lounge chair.

Yolanda's face lightened up that Sherry was changing the subject. "There is a whole section of young adult novels. I'd say that you'll be more than entertained for however long that we are here," Yolanda encouraged and followed Sherry's lead.

They walked towards the library and talked about things that they missed before the outbreak. However Sherry couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal towards Yolanda wanting to stay in Sanctuary. She didn't say it but Sherry could sense it. The thought only made her sick.

…

Dwight watched Sherry walk around the town below his building that he was assigned to guard nearby the front gates. Dwight knew by the expression on her face that she was concentrating and studying everything around her. The look wasn't coherently obvious to the other Saviors that kept a close eye on her around him. The thing that gave her away to Dwight was her biting the inside of her lip. He had known her for six months to know that was what she did when contemplating something. She didn't linger her gaze towards different parts of the gate for longer than a second. She was being careful to not draw attention where she didn't want it to be.

"Negan sure picked a nice looking bitch, didn't he?" A guard named Alex commented beside the edge of the roof while leaning against the sturdy brick siding. Dwight tilted his head and tensed a bit with Alex' words as he gave him a disgusted look. Alex was a man that was around his early forties but aged twenty years beyond that due to too many drugs. His appearance didn't help ease Dwight's comfort level as the man was covered with tattoos reserved for white supremacy groups in prisons.

"Too bad Negan isn't into sharing," Alex continued as he nudged the man beside him. "I'd show her a good time…" Suddenly, he was cut off short by a quick jolt that struck him. He leaned against the siding in evident distress and clutched his upper thigh. The Savior next to him looked at what hit Alex – a bolt. Alex and his friend both gazed up to Dwight and his crossbow which was absent of any bolts like it had been just moments before.

"Must have slipped on accident," Dwight muttered nonchalantly as he didn't care to feign innocence. Several of Alex' other comrades knelt down to assist him and stared at Dwight in disbelief. Some of them actually laughed at the entire situation which made Alex even more upset.

"You son of a bitch!" Alex said as he dropped to the ground in almost a temper tantrum. Dwight watched as Alex' friends guided him to the stairs while Alex continued on his rant and how Dwight was going to pay for what he did one day. Dwight only smiled smugly and then sat down on the edge of the roof once they were all gone.

"That was a good one, son," Hansen complimented as he hobbled over to Dwight to keep him company. "Alex was always a talker up here. No one is going to miss him for the rest of the day."

Dwight shrugged. "It was like I said. An accident."

"Oh, sure it was," Hansen joked. "Question is, what was the thing that he said that got you riled up?"

Dwight didn't answer but instead looked beyond the gates upon hearing cars coming their direction. He loaded his crossbow and got off the edge to step closer towards the gates to get a better look. As the cars came into view, everyone on alert put their weapons down. It was only Negan and his men returning. Dwight immediately became disappointed. He hoped that the incorrigible man would have been gone for a lot longer.

Some guards opened the gate as the trucks started rolling inside. Dwight noticed all of the supplies neatly placed in the back of each truck bed. Ammo, food, and other miscellaneous things such as plates, towels, blankets and small generators were what Dwight noticed the most. Another truck had come with only tanks of gasoline. Another had only water. Dwight couldn't help but wonder where all their things came from.

Negan stepped out of the truck that he was driving and looked around at the other Saviors that bustled out of their own vehicles. "Gentleman!" He barked to all of them to get their attention. "We have a shit ton of alcohol!" Saviors nearby cheered at the statement while Dwight watched some guards leave their post to assist with stowing away their new supplies. Dwight walked towards the stairwell and did the same. As he walked down, he could see the men loading their deliveries in an organized fashion as Dean stood at the doorway of the building that Dwight was just on top of. With a paper and pen in hand, he jotted down everything that the Saviors brought in. Knowing that was Dean's new job within Sanctuary, it didn't seem out of place.

Negan spotted Dwight in the crowd and headed towards him. "Next week, I'll be going on another errand. I want the men in your group to come with us. You guys needs to see what it means to be a part of our group," Negan said formally to him as they both walked to his truck. "We'll get to see all of you in action!"

"You missed some action _here_, Negan," Hansen piped in behind Dwight as he limped to keep up with them.

Negan chuckled a bit and reached into his truck to grab a beer. "Yeah? What happened?" He asked.

"Dwight just shot Alex in the leg with his bow," Hansen said with a smile. Dwight got the impression that Hansen said it to impress him. Negan gave Dwight the side eye as Dwight inwardly cringed waiting for him to yell in his face. Instead Negan threw his head back and laughed.

"Jesus, why wasn't I here for that shit?" Negan complained as tears almost rolled down his cheeks. "Next time, save your anger for when I'm around, okay Dwight?"

"Oh, it was an 'accident,' boss," Hansen implied as he bunny eared the word _accident._

Negan threw Hansen a beer and got another from the truck and threw it to Dwight. "Of course it was," Negan stated knowingly and stepped towards Dwight. "I knew you would fit in around here."

Dwight pursed his lips together and said nothing. What he did to Alex was out of character for him. He had never intentionally tried to hurt someone before. However, Alex' words bothered him way more than they should have. Dwight felt it was his personal responsibility to shut him up. He didn't have control with Negan; but in that moment on the roof, he could have done whatever he wanted and no one would have stopped him.

Negan went about his other business as Dwight walked back up to the roof to stand guard once more. He opened his beer and sat on the lounge chair beside the edge as he overlooked Sanctuary and all of its grandeur.

"Sherry!" Negan yelled below. Dwight immediately stood up and looked at the town beneath him. Sherry had a book in her hand and was standing next to Yolanda as Negan jogged up to her and gave her a bear hug. Negan swung her around as her feet came off the ground while she reluctantly held onto him for support. When he put her down, he planted a kiss on her lips then guided Sherry towards his home. _One of these days, _Dwight thought, _there might be another accident._


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"_Turning into a leftie, I see." Dwight said nonchalantly towards Sherry as they walked in the middle of the road with their group not far behind._

_Sherry looked at her new weapon and smirked. It was a machete that she had found on a supply run and had kept with her but didn't have a use for it until her shotgun proved to be useless. "The gun hurt like hell with my shoulder the way it is. Plus, I'm collecting ammo until it feels better." Sherry explained but knew Dwight understood the situation already._

_Sherry's health was better but it was the first time that they made a trek since she got shot a week ago. Once again, their little camp was overrun but this time, they weren't without casualties. Jason and Terri's oldest son, Todd, was eaten alive by walkers. By the time his heartbroken father reached him, Todd was already at peace._

_As they walked to nowhere in particular, Sherry turned around to see Teresa look pale. The teenage girl was very close to her brother. Everyone could hear her soft whimpers from time to time. Sherry pitied Teresa for having to grow up in such a relentless world. Jason and Terri were the tail end of the group as they walked silently while thinking of their late son. Terri had begged to go back to their camp and give Todd a proper burial but Dwight and Jason fought her and told her that it wasn't safe. "She wouldn't be ready to see what's left of him," Jason had said quietly to Dwight._

_The mood was dark but one small thing ringed true throughout the group. In their moment of despair, Haruki saved Jenna and Yolanda's life while defending them from the walkers at the camp. It wasn't enough to make their spirits happier but Dwight and Sherry no longer looked at Haruki as a liability._

_Sherry glanced to Dwight beside her as he had strapped her backpack on his shoulders to help her avoid further damage to her injury. He insisted and said it wasn't a big deal but Sherry remained thankful that he offered. With crossbow in hand, he looked down to her with raised eyebrows. "Do we need to change your bandages or are they okay?" Dwight inquired._

"_Yeah, we'll change them when we make camp tonight." Sherry said. "I don't want to bother Terri with it so if you could help me out, that would be great. It just feels wrong to ask her for favors right now."_

"_Understandable." Dwight responded as he thought to himself for several moments while Sherry gazed around hoping that they could find a resting spot soon. "Sherry?" Dwight asked in a quiet tone._

"_Hm?" Sherry replied intrigued at his tone. She knew that he had something important to discuss._

"_We have to talk about Teresa." Dwight said then looked behind them to see the girl in question stumble over her feet awkwardly. _

"_Why?" Sherry asked while watching Teresa steady herself then move on. "What's wrong?"_

"_Look at her. She doesn't look that good." Dwight said while still keeping his voice low._

"_She just lost her brother, Dwight. It's not that abnormal." Sherry argued slightly. Even Sherry could admit that Teresa seemed off but if that were the case, her heart wasn't equipped to deal with another problem when their group had lost Todd so very recently._

"_Yeah, she looks sad. But she also looks sick. Terri and Jason's minds are somewhere else. It's not a surprise that they haven't noticed." Dwight replied back and sighed. "Or maybe they know and they aren't saying anything."_

_Sherry spared another glance towards Teresa as she walked in a pattern that didn't look in as much grief as it was in pain. Sherry scanned her clothing and noticed a rip with fresh blood coming from Teresa's jeans where her calve muscle was._

_Sherry stepped backwards and walked towards Teresa with Dwight following close behind her. When she reached Teresa, the young girl didn't make eye contact while Terri and Jason walked up to the two of them and gave Sherry a questioning gaze. Everyone in their group looked curious as to what was going on._

_Teresa started to cry as Sherry's eyes looked to her leg. Sherry's fears were confirmed as she looked to Jason. "Did you know?" She asked quietly. He started to weep along with his wife as they hugged each other for support. Teresa fell to her knees and put her face in her palms while sobbing uncontrollably. Sherry saw Haruki and Takuya hold the younger boys at bay and tried to distract them with other trivial things. Haruki pointed to a nearby van that was twenty feet away from them. The boys were more intrigued with the distraction than their crying family._

_Sherry knelt in front of Teresa. "We aren't going to hurt you, Teresa. But why didn't you tell us that you got bit?" Sherry asked desperately._

_Teresa looked to her parents then down to the concrete road underneath them. "Todd left yesterday. I didn't want to leave too." She confessed._

"_We wanted her to last as long as she could." Jason said while his voice was wrought with emotion. He held the back of his wife's head while she cried onto his shoulder._

_Sherry looked to Dwight as he gave her a nod of encouragement. She got off her knees and walked away from the scene while grabbing Dwight's arm for him to follow. Jason and Terri hugged Teresa as Dwight and Sherry looked on in turmoil._

"_She's going to die soon," Sherry said and put a hand to her forehead while a sob broke from her lips. "We need her to rest comfortably somewhere. They need to bury her. It can't be like Todd. They need this to be a better ending."_

_Dwight breathed slowly then observed the McCoy family once more. "Where do we even go? We are in the middle of nowhere. If we are to get somewhere soon, we need a car." Dwight said in defeat as Sherry nodded her head knowing he was right._

_Just then, they heard an engine moan followed by shouts from the younger boys as they high-fived Haruki and Takuya. They all gathered around the driver seat of the car as Haruki knelt near the gas pedals. Better yet, the van was an airport passenger carrier. _

"_Thank God!" Sherry said and started jogging over to the boys. "We need that car, guys! Thank you so much!" Haruki stood and looked to Sherry with wariness but she only hugged him tightly. He was shocked by the gesture but took it as a form of forgiveness._

_Jason and Dwight helped Teresa into the car as everyone piled in after them. Takuya got into the driver's seat and smiled to himself as it was the first time that he drove since the outbreak. Dwight and Sherry sat in the far back beside each other. Sherry admitted that it felt good to sit down and relax rather than walk to a random destination. Summer was starting to sweep Georgia and the humidity was brutal._

_Walkers started emerging from the forest surrounding the road as Takuya started driving safely away. Sherry just watched them in a small relief that they didn't have to fight them. She turned to look inside the van and noticed Dwight was already staring at her. She smiled weakly at him as he did the same. At least she wasn't the only one that had been exhausted from the previous events._

…

_Sherry didn't mean to fall asleep but woke up to the van stopping. She adjusted her eyes to view that it was pitch black outside and that they had arrived at a gate. Takuya and Haruki got out of the car to observe the tall metal gate and saw that it wasn't locked. Sherry could see from their van's headlights that they stared at each other with smiles on their faces. Haruki opened the gates wide so that the van could fit through as Takuya got back into his seat to drive forward._

_Sherry lifted her head but then became fully aware that her cheek had been resting on Dwight's shoulder. Her mouth stood agape and her face felt like it caught on fire. Dwight looked entertained by her reaction as he tried to hide a smile. As people started pouring out of the car once the van stopped, Sherry still stood frozen and somewhat embarrassed that she slept on Dwight's shoulder. "I am so sorry," was all that she could mutter. She didn't wait for a response and quickly climbed out of the car. She looked at Dwight briefly then heard a chuckle escape his lips. She didn't care to dissect his reaction but it made her feel mortified all the same. _That must have seemed so corny, _Sherry thought to herself as she watched Dean and Jason carry Teresa into the house. _He must think that I'm some sort of chick that purposefully sat next to him to have a dumb moment like that. So juvenile.

_Dean and Jason unlocked the door with care as Teresa rested between Haruki and Terri. Once it opened successfully, Dwight, Sherry, Takuya ran in with their weapons ready. Nothing came. Dwight whistled in amazement. Sherry saw the enormity of the house when walking towards it but inside, she couldn't believe the grandeur of the place. Never was it even ransacked. It was deserted. No one had touched the place since the outbreak began. It was the perfect place to camp. Once the mansion was secure, Haruki and Takuya began scouting the entire premises for walkers outside on the property._

_Jason and Terri carried Teresa to the biggest bedroom upstairs. Their whole family would sleep in that room and wait for Teresa to pass. Teegan and Troy rejected the idea almost immediately. They didn't want to see their sister die. Sherry offered to have the young boys bunk with her and they quickly were enthused with the suggestion. Once everyone seemed to settle a little bit more, Sherry began searching through the house to keep the children distracted by the sad tone that their group still had. She then found a pile of UNO cards and started shuffling at the coffee table in the entertainment room while the boys seemed relieved that she found something to avert their attention. Dwight picked up on the suggestion and got out a lighter for the candles that sat as the centerpiece on top of the table._

_Dwight took the opportunity and sat beside her as their legs touched. "Dean and Hannah found some canned goods. We'll be eating like kings tonight, boys!" Dwight addressed to the two blond-haired kids. They smiled big at the statement. Their group was far from starving but knowing they were going to eat another night was a welcome blessing. Dwight beamed at their reaction and look at Sherry shuffle the cards._

"_What are we playing?" He asked while leaning over her shoulder._

"_UNO. The best card game ever." She said while concentrating on dealing cards out to all the players. She turned to look at Dwight but became shocked at how close his face was to hers. "You in?" She asked while trying to feign indifference as if his closeness didn't affect her in the slightest._

"_I'm definitely in." Dwight said as Sherry dealt him in. He then made a face as he picked up his one card that Sherry had given him. "I don't know if it's the best card game. I think it's a little overrated." He said in a joking manner._

_The seriousness in her face made Dwight lean back a bit but he smiled regardless. "You will take that back." Sherry threatened._

_He scoffed. "Have you ever played Phase 10? Much better of a game!" He exclaimed._

_Sherry snorted and rolled her eyes. "I call bullshit on that. I've played Phase 10. I almost fell asleep after listening to the instructions." She said and put the rest of the deck on the coffee table once they all had seven in hand._

_Teegan and Troy snickered with delight. "You said a swear," seven-year-old Troy said with a giggle._

_Dwight chuckled while Sherry felt incredibly guilty for cursing in front of a child. "I shouldn't have said that in front of you boys. Your pure little ears almost exploded because of me." Sherry said with a wink and looked to her cards. They both laughed once more as Dwight and Sherry joined._

_They all played a few rounds of UNO as Sherry could see the young ones enjoy themselves more fully. She was glad to take part in that. As time passed, the boys became more curious about Dwight and Sherry as they began to ask them questions. Sherry hadn't really answered anyone's question when it came to her family but she accepted it from the boys who still needed to be diverted from reality._

"_Do you have brothers and sisters?" Teegan asked both of them._

_Dwight looked to Sherry but responded first. "I do. I have one older brother." He answered while laying down one card._

"_What was his name?" Troy asked._

"_John." Dwight said while Sherry could hear the amount of respect that he had for him. There was a reverence to it as Sherry understood that John's outcome wasn't too optimal._

"_Is he alive?" Teegan inquired._

_Dwight looked at his cards and pretended to be more interested in them than the conversation. "No. He died a little less than two months ago." He revealed with a level of sadness. Sherry thought about timeline and assumed that John died maybe several weeks away from when she first met Dwight. Her heart constricted when she remembered first seeing him in the forest all alone._

"_What happened?" Teegan asked innocently as Sherry laid down a card suddenly remembering it was her turn._

_Dwight looked to the boy and smiled while undeterred by the question. "He got bit." Dwight replied as Teegan and Troy looked at their cards while almost filled with regret for bringing it up. "It's alright though. I think he's in a much better place now. It makes me feel better knowing he's doing better than I am."_

"_Like heaven?" Troy asked and planted a draw four down for his brother. Teegan gave him the side eye but drew the cards regardless. _

"_Yeah, let's call it heaven. Maybe your brother is hanging out with mine now." Dwight suggested lightly. They smiled at the thought then looked to Sherry._

"_Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Teegan asked._

_She shook her head. "No, I was an only child." She disclosed._

"_So where are your parents?" Troy asked._

"_Last I heard, they were heading to Michigan." Sherry said while they all took turns laying down cards. "I hope they made it."_

"_Do you think that they will try and find you?" Teegan inquired._

_Sherry let out a deep sigh and shook her head. "Michigan and Georgia are very far away from each other. They knew that I didn't stay where my apartment was so they wouldn't know the first place to look. My dad would have wanted to find me but I know his top priority is keeping my Mom alive. For all they know, they probably think I'm gone." Sherry said and laid down her final card. They all looked to her with shock. "Oh, did I forget to say UNO before?"_

_They all threw their cards at her as per Sherry's family rules. The winner risked vicious paper cuts and had to clean up the mess._

_Dinner was ready and they all ate and whispered amongst each other. They knew what was going on upstairs but no one addressed it for the sake of Troy and Teegan. Terri and Jason stayed with Teresa as they managed to try and make her feel as comfortable as possible under the circumstances._

_After dinner, Dwight found a first aid kit with plenty of gauze inside. He motioned for Sherry to come inside his small bedroom that was directly behind the kitchen. He sit up everything that they would need as she tried to take her jacket off. She winced once as Dwight was quick on his feet to assist her. He helped get her sleeve away from her arm gently as Sherry then looked to see if she still had a tank top underneath her shirt. While her modesty would still remain intact with the tank top, she proceeded to remove her shirt as Dwight wondered to help her with that item of clothing._

"_I might need help trying to get it over my head." Sherry said while trying to remain calm._

"_Yeah. Sure," Dwight stammered out as he lifted her arms up gently to give her shoulder proper time to adjust to a different angle. Sherry's heart started to beat faster as Dwight stepped closer and tugged at her shirt to be pulled over. Once it was off, the tank top did no good as she still felt slightly vulnerable for a whole different reason. The last time a guy had taken her shirt off for her was when it was her boyfriend. Knowing that it was for her shoulder injury didn't help her nerves. The way that Dwight looked at her made her know that he was getting things mixed up in his head as well._

_Sherry broke the interaction then sat on his mattress. Dwight still clutched onto Sherry's shirt but then placed it near the first aid kit then sat beside her. The mood hadn't necessarily gone away as Sherry had hoped it would but at the same time she felt renewed in a way. She didn't want the feeling to leave._

_He began unwrapping the bandages as Sherry winced slightly. "Sorry," he muttered._

"_You're fine." Sherry said while trying to breathe through the pain that she had with her shoulder being bothered. They stayed silent for a while as she watched Dwight work with concentration. She noticed that his eyebrow raised slightly when he was focused on something. Thinking it was kind of cute, she tried to avert her gaze to something else. But instead she could only think of Teresa. "How long do you think it will take for Teresa to change?" Sherry asked him quietly._

_Dwight looked at her in the eyes as Sherry was aware of the affect that he had with his close proximity. She could never think of a moment when Dwight was that close to her. There was that shoulder ordeal a week before where he had apparently carried her to the camp. She had no recollection of it. _

"_She could change any second. I didn't tell the boys this but I didn't wait for my brother to change." Dwight revealed as he put new gauze over her shoulder._

"_What did you do?" She asked._

"_I took a knife to his head." Dwight said quietly as Sherry could read the pain in his eyes. "I couldn't leave him like that. I buried him and went on my way." Dwight reached for Sherry's hand and placed it over the gauze so she could hold it in place. His fingers lingered over hers for a second but then went back to get the new wrappings prepped._

"_Do you know what happened to your parents?" Sherry thought to ask while following Troy's example with his question._

_He shook his head and smiled politely. "They, um… They died almost a decade ago. I didn't have to worry about them." He stated somberly._

_Sherry frowned at his answer and wished that she could take back her question. "I'm sorry to hear that." She said in sincerity._

"_I'm not." Dwight said with a shrug. "They didn't get to live to see all of this shit going on." He taped her bandage up slowly as Sherry held her arm up so it was fastened up properly. Once he finished, Dwight put a hand on her lap as Sherry mindlessly placed a hand over his. She didn't mean to respond in such an affectionate way. It just happened. Dwight's eyes glanced up to her face while she fought to break the enclosing feeling once more. Yet she couldn't look away._

_Suddenly a knock was heard on the already open door as they turned their attention to see an exhausted Jason standing at the entryway. His eyes were swollen from overwhelming tears as he tried to clear his voice. "Teresa wants to say goodbye to everyone." He announced in a gruff voice. With that, he quickly left to let the other people in the house know while Sherry and Dwight were alone once more._

_Dwight squeezed her hand in support as she accepted his way of showing that he cared for her. He then grabbed her shirt beside the first aid kit and started preparing it for her to wear when they left the room. She smiled at how genuine he could be as her heart felt full. Instantly, she tried to squander the feeling and tell herself that she didn't have time for something that could easily go wrong. In their world, Dwight could be dead the following day. Knowing if her feelings toward him intensified, that day would be very difficult._

…

_They walked up to the bedroom and paused at the doorway as they saw Teegan and Troy give one last hug to their older sister. Yolanda had her arms outstretched as the boys walked up to her and then ushered them out of the room. She rested a hand on Sherry's unharmed shoulder and sighed. "We already said our goodbyes," Yolanda said. "Take your time. I'll keep the boys occupied."_

_Sherry nodded as she and Dwight walked inside to see everyone gathered around while various candles that they had found throughout the mansion were on the nightstand and dressers. When Teresa saw them get closer, she smiled tiredly as Sherry sat on the bed facing her. "How are you feeling?" Sherry asked while trying to sound light. She knew Teresa deserved to be around happiness in her last moments._

"_I feel terrible." Teresa said as she coughed until she couldn't breathe. Everyone waited and stood cautious while Terri assisted her. Once she finished her episode, she smiled again towards all of them. "Don't worry, you guys still don't look appetizing." Sherry grinned in spite of the gruesome sense of humor as did everyone else. Jason even laughed knowing that his only daughter had a very similar funny bone to his. It was followed by more tears to know that his pride and joy would soon leave him._

_Teresa then looked to Dwight and cleared her throat. "Troy and Teegan just told me that you… took care of your brother after he got bit." Teresa said while trying to put it lightly for the sake of her parents._

_Dwight nodded sadly. "He didn't become one of them. That was my only concern." He reasoned simply._

_She looked to her parents and then back to Dwight. "Can you do that for me? I don't want my parents to deal with it." She requested as she stared at him with hope in her eyes._

_Jason sobbed but managed to mutter, "We already discussed that I could do it, honey." He reasoned._

"_I don't want you to remember me that way." Teresa said as Sherry recognized how mature her appeal was for her parent's benefit. Jason still looked unconvinced. Sherry knew the inner battle that he was fighting and how giving his daughter peace would have been a bittersweet experience._

"_Dean and Hannah," Teresa addressed as she looked to the two oldest people in the room. "I never told you this but you both reminded me of my grandparents. It was nice to pretend that you were. It made us seem more like a family."_

_Everyone smiled at the insightful thought while Dean and Hannah eyed each other from across the room and blushed in unison. "Yeah? What is everyone else then, sweetie?" Hannah asked in a kind voice._

_Teresa thought as a tear fell from her eye. "Jenna is my cousin while everyone else are my aunt and uncles. Dwight and Sherry would probably be the fun aunt and uncle that let me stay up late and watch R rated movies." She responded while everyone laughed. They all seemed satisfied to pretend with her. It was almost comforting and confirming that they were slowly becoming a family unit after being together for so long._

"_I want you all of you to take care of my family like they really yours," Teresa said softly. "Please make sure that they are safe. Can you do that?"_

_They nodded and admired the wisdom that was coming from Teresa. Sherry marveled at her need to make sure that your family was looked after over her obvious pain._

"_Sherry?" Teresa asked._

"_Aunt Sherry." She corrected with a smile._

_Teresa grinned back. "Aunt Sherry? How old are you?"_

"_Twenty-one." Sherry replied._

"_Did I miss out on being a teenager?" Teresa asked hoping that Sherry would have given the right answer._

_Sherry shrugged and looked towards the window on the far side of the room. "No. All the things that teenagers rave about are completely overrated. I'd say spending a month camping with your family is better than any of those things." Sherry said while wanting the answer to be what Teresa needed to hear._

"_Walker herds and all?" Teresa asked._

"_It's not considered camping without them." Sherry responded with a light grin._

_Teresa smiled but it quickly faded as her eyes fluttered closed. Her breathing slowed and she was sound asleep. Terri cried into her daughter's hands while Jason faced a corner and wept silently to himself. Dwight reached to give Jason a bear hug while seemingly not caring that Jason didn't want people to see him crying like a little child. However, Jason took the form of comfort and returned it. Sherry rested her hand on Terri's head and stroked her fingers through her blonde hair. Dean and Hannah huddled around Terri and rested their hands on her shoulders while Haruki and Takuya stood at the foot of the bed with their heads hung low. Everyone did seem like a family in that moment as they all grieved in various ways._

_Teresa was only sleeping. But somehow they all knew that the chances of her waking up were slim to none._

…

_Sherry woke up the next morning in a bedroom that she shared with Teegan, Troy, Jenna, and Yolanda. The room consisted of two large queen size beds and a room connected to it that had bunk beds for the boys. Jenna and Yolanda shared a bed while Sherry had a bed all to herself. Sherry counted the times that they had run into an abandoned place that had mattresses. Each time that they were fortunate enough, she was grateful. Sherry was happier to find clean mattresses then food that they scavenged. All for that good night sleep._

_Breakfast consisted of cereal and dry milk. They all sat at the table but said nothing. Teresa was still upstairs with her parents. Sherry knew they were waiting in case she actually did wake up; only to spend time with her once more. It was a hope that couldn't possibly happen but Sherry wasn't going to break that news to them._

_Then from the dining room, they watched Jason come down the stairs while holding Teresa in his arms. Terri walked in front of him and then opened the front door as they stepped outside. Dwight and Sherry made eye contact as others started to weep about what had transpired or were trying to distract Teegan and Troy again. Sherry left the dining room and walked outside to the mansion's gated property to see Jason and Terri ambled towards a willow tree that sat beside a decent sized pond. He rested Teresa's body to be propped up on the tree's trunk as Jason and Terri both looked to her with a mixture of fear and sadness._

_Teresa was dead and had finally moved on. Sherry watched as Jason stood over her body with a knife in hand. He then knelt beside her with determination but then started to shake while emotions got the better of him. The knife fell out of his grasp and onto the dirt as he sobbed uncontrollably. Terri hugged him from behind as they stayed in each other's arms taking in all of their grief._

_Sherry then walked towards them and reached for the knife. Jason looked to her in near gratitude as he silently begged her to do the job that he couldn't. Sherry stared down at the knife and then to Teresa with wide eyes. Praying for strength, she tried to reason to herself that it was the humane thing to do. Deciding to deal with the mental consequences later and do a favor for the McCoy family before Teresa had time to turn, she quickly leaned over the teenager's body and plunged the knife in the back of her head so as to keep her face looking like she was only sleeping. Sherry grabbed the side of Teresa's head to extract the knife as it made a cringe-worthy sound in the process. _

_Disgusted, she walked away and dropped the knife in midstride towards the house. Dwight stood on the lawn while watching the whole display as she walked past him with her head down in shame. Tears started to form as she started to pant heavily like she couldn't breathe. Once she reached her room, she went to her mattress and cried helplessly. She knew that she didn't kill Teresa but it was the first time that she ever stuck a knife into someone. Teresa was considered as a friend. The same girl who had helped assist in her shoulder injury just a week ago. She was gone._

…

_A light knock on the door was heard later in the day. The door opened slightly as Dwight walked inside. Sherry just watched him as her back rested on the headboard and her knees were directly in front of her chest. She noticed that he had dirt on his hands but he quickly put them in his jean pockets._

_He stood beside the bed while trying to scope out what was going on in her mind. He looked concerned for her as she tried not to cry again. It had already been an emotional day and she liked to appear strong in front of her group members. The last week was proving to be difficult to keep that front._

"_We dug a grave for Teresa." Dwight explained with a tender voice. "We are going to have a funeral of sorts for her if you would like to be a part of that."_

_Sherry wiped at her eyes and stood up from her bed. "Of course. I would love to come." She answered._

_They walked side by side towards the willow tree where the grave was made. Sherry slowed her pace at the sight of the grave. Perplexed at first, she saw there were two graves instead of one. But then she remembered the lack of a funeral for Todd. It then made sense. Teresa was already buried. The fine soil was already placed on top and made a beautiful mound with rocks that were put at the base of the soil that separated it from the grass. She could see the boys and Jenna collecting more rocks for Todd's side as Yolanda and Hannah took yellow flower petals from a nearby rosebush and would shower them upon both of the graves. Dean, Haruki, and Takuya were making dinner for everyone after the funeral. All Terri and Jason had to do was watch in amazement as their "family" was more than happy to help them in need._

_Sherry smiled through tears at the peaceful scene. It almost looked like a fairytale. She felt Dwight's fingers touch hers gently in comfort. She glanced up to him as he gave her a comforting grin and squeezed her hand before letting go as he stepped towards the logs that were stored for firewood. Sherry walked the rest of the way to the tree and gave Terri a tight hug. After which she hugged Jason but still held onto Terri's hand._

_Terri looked to Sherry and smiled but then changed her look to horror. "Your bandages, Sherry! I forgot to change them last night, didn't I?" She asked._

_Sherry shook her head. "Don't worry about it." She assured. "We already took care of it."_

_Terri's lip quivered at her overwhelming gratitude. Sherry embraced Terri again as they both had needed the feeling of contentment._

_The funeral itself was beautiful. Everyone said their favorite memories of Teresa and Todd. Jason and Terri even went into detail about their lives before the outbreak. Their family was from Florida. Teresa dreamed of working at Disney World one day and being a Disney Princess character; Cinderella in particular. Todd and his dad both had hopes of a full ride scholarship to Notre Dame. Todd wanted to be a football player and his favorite movie that inspired him was Rudy._

_Teegan and Troy recollected how much they looked up to their brother and admitted how much they tried to annoy Teresa. Feeling bad for their wrong-doings, they wished to be better by treating their parents fairly for the rest of their lives._

"_Todd Ryan McCoy was eighteen and Teresa Janelle McCoy was fourteen. They will be remembered," Terri said and put roses on their graves. Everyone followed her example with their roses in hand._

_Hannah spoke up and stepped forward to get everyone's attention. "Not that there isn't enough roses on these beautiful graves but my family had a tradition to all throw handfuls of rose petals. We would watch them fall gently on the graves while commemorating their lives. Yolanda and I collected some rose petals near the house. If you don't mind, I would like to start that same tradition here. If that is okay." She said sweetly as Yolanda held a basket of yellow, red, and white rose petals._

_Terri beamed with obvious love for the concept and nodded her head. Yolanda presented the basket and put it at the feet of Jason and Terri. Everyone then grabbed handfuls of rose petals and held them until given permission to toss them up._

"_On the count of three, I guess?" Jason said as everyone seemed enthused to take part in a tender moment. "One – two – three!"_

_Everyone threw their rose petals up and immediately went to grab for more. The boys and Jenna ran in between the graves and danced while the petals fell over top of them. The adults laughed and were thankful for the idea. The air was light-hearted again. Todd and Teresa were at peace._

_Once all the rose petals were gone from the basket, the ground was covered with colors of red, yellow, and white. Everyone ate afterwards and looked towards the grave as the sun started setting. Life seemed to be about perfect with their family._

…

"We have to leave Sanctuary," Dwight expressed to his group. "If we stay, we are going to forget who we were."

His original group except for Sherry were huddled together in the living room of his house while discussing their next step. The children were upstairs in Jenna's room as they played quietly. With the curtains drawn and the lights low to not raise suspicion, they met for an effort to find a good solution for their next course of action. Surprisingly, Dwight's suggestion was met with opposition.

"I agree with Dwight," Terri spoke up. "We need to find a way out of here soon."

"Dwight," Jason started but then shook his head knowing his words were going to be contended with. "Since we have been here, we haven't needed to worry about living another day. As long as we follow orders, Negan won't harm us."

"You really believe that shit?" Dwight contested. "You really think that Negan is a man of his word?"

Jason was about to say something but then looked to Dean. He closed his mouth and apparently thought better of it. Dwight caught what the gist of it was going to be and decided to strike first since Jason wasn't going to. "If that shithead was a man of his word, then where the hell is Hannah, Jason?" He asked.

"Sherry was being stupid," Jason muttered bravely. "If it weren't for her, Hannah would still be here." He shrugged as a matter-of-factly as his wife shook her head that he had the audacity to say such a thing.

Dean looked at Jason with wide and hurtful eyes. "You honestly don't believe that, do you?" The older man inquired softly.

Jason winced at Dean's reaction while quickly regretting his words. "No… I don't know… He did ask her once to drop her gun and she refused. She just wasn't playing smart." Jason argued half-heartedly.

"No, she was only looking out for us," Takuya quipped. Everyone became silent at his statement mostly because Takuya wasn't the kind of person to speak up in a heated argument.

"I agree with Jason," Haruki chimed in.

"So do I," Yolanda said quietly. "Not with Sherry being stupid. She was only looking out for us. I agree with him in the sense that we should stay put."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing," Dwight muttered as he looked to all of them. "Sherry is in Negan's house as we speak. She's not there because she wants to be. She's there for you guys! And you are going to let her do all the dirty work so you guys can stay alive?" Dwight asked while raising his voice with every sentence. Yolanda put her head down in shame.

Terri stood next to Dwight in support. "I agree with Dwight on this one. Sherry has helped us too much. It would be a disservice to her if we just stand here and do nothing." Terri concurred.

"I say we find a way out as well." Dean said proudly.

"Me too." Takuya said.

Yolanda, Haruki, and Jason stood tall and didn't move or say anything that would suggest that they were going to change their minds.

"Yolanda," Dwight started as he looked to her and could see her mind wavering. "I know that you are only agreeing to stay because Jenna is safe here. But I promise that we can find somewhere else. Some other community that we can try and become a part of. We can't settle with this place. You know we can't."

Yolanda nodded with tears in her eyes. Dwight knew that Yolanda was already bending backwards and knew of his and Sherry's secret communications. She didn't want to awaken Negan's wrath. Dwight understood the need to walk around eggshells. It was safer that way.

"That seems a little selfish of you, doesn't it?" Jason questioned.

"Speak up, Jason. If you have something to say, then just say it." Dwight replied with almost gritted teeth.

"Well, you are asking us to move _our _families into the unknown. You don't even know if there is another place like Sanctuary. There is the first community that have even stumbled upon in the last six months! And you want us to leave for a promise that you can't keep." Jason rebuked as walked closer to Dwight.

"It's not a promise that I can't keep because I know that there are other communities nearby. The men that I take watch with confided to me that Sanctuary taxes other groups in return for protection from the walkers." Dwight explained.

"Then why the fuck would they take us in if they knew that we escaped from Sanctuary?" Jason inquired angrily. "They would just drag us back so as not to be on bad terms with Negan!"

Dwight ran a hand through his short curly hair. "Look, man, I don't have all the answers but I just know Sherry wants to get away from Negan. We owe it to her to help her out. If we stay, we die. That was Negan's bargaining chip. If she isn't here, we're dead if we continue to live here." Dwight tried to convey.

"Again, it's selfish of you to ask us to help. We have no choice in the matter." Jason claimed.

"And that's what problem I am trying to address," Dwight started. "Our choices have already been taken away because of Negan's rules. We can't make decisions without one result being the death of someone we care about. That's not selfish of me or Sherry to ask. Even if we are out on the road, we have more choices to make. Sure, it's more of a sacrifice but we will have our freedom again."

"Or you're just jealous of Negan." Jason retorted. Terri shook her head again and started backing away while physically not taking responsibility for what her husband said from that point onward.

Dwight didn't hesitate to stand head to head with Jason. Over the months, they bickered like brothers but at the end of the day remained good friends. Only they could speak to each other with what truly was on their mind. However, Dwight considered Jason's last statement to have crossed a line. "Want to run that by me again?" He asked.

"Sherry isn't in your bed; she's in Negan's. You want her out of this place so you can finally deal the deal." Jason said as he dug to hurt Dwight to the very core. With that, Dwight punched him squarely in the nose. Jason reeled back into the wall and shook his face from the complete shock that Dwight struck him. He stood up straight and ran for Dwight but Takuya and Dean held him back. Terri blocked him as she stepped in the middle of the two men.

"No, Jason!" Terri reprimanded. "You go back home and think about the terrible thing that just came out of your mouth!"

Jason didn't have to be asked twice as he turned on his heel and walked out of the room. His hand covered his face while blood spilled from between his fingers. He opened and slammed the front door so hard that a painting fell off the nearest wall. Everyone stood there in surprise as to what just happened. Dwight walked over to the couch and sat down while trying to breathe slowly.

Yolanda was the first to speak up. "I only need to know that whatever plan you and Sherry conjure up is going to go off flawlessly. My worst case scenario is us being caught and staying here with even less control than we have now. If I knew that we could get out of here easily, I would wholeheartedly be on your side. I only know that Sherry is treading lightly as it is. I can only imagine what it would be like for her after an incident like that." She said while trying to make all of her points be acknowledged by everyone in the room.

Dwight looked down at his shoes and nodded. "I know, Yolanda. We will make sure that this plan goes off without a hitch before we even try anything. I promise." He said to her. She smiled kindly then soon walked out of the room to check on the kids upstairs.

"Haruki?" Dwight asked then looked towards him. Haruki slowly met his gaze but with trepidation as Dwight just barely punched another man for saying the wrong answer. "Why don't you want to go? I get Jason and Yolanda's reasoning. But what about you?"

Haruki shrugged and took a deep breath. "My excuse is a shallow one. I'm tired of running away from those things. I like being protected here. I don't really care if some choices are taken away from me. At least I'm alive." Haruki uttered. 

Dwight couldn't believe the response as he tried to process it. In a roundabout way, Haruki didn't care about Sherry's well-being. As long as he was safe, Sherry could stay with Negan for the rest of her life. The thought infuriated Dwight. "Well, at least you know it's a shallow reason." Dwight said as he stood up. "I'm going to go get some air. This conversation is over for now. But it's nowhere near finished."

…

Dwight stayed on the porch outside. He didn't want to think of anything except for when he would be able to see Sherry again. That was the only thing that gave him comfort. Even then, he worried about what condition she would be in the next time that he saw her. Biting his lip, he concentrated on cleaning his crossbow even though he had already done it the day before and hardly used it in between that time.

He turned to a noise that came to his left and was surprised to see that it was Jason. Jason walked up to Dwight slowly with his hands in his front jean pockets. They stood there saying nothing while they both looked at the road from the front porch.

"I'm sorry, man," Jason started. "That was one of the lowest things that I have ever said in my life. I know that she doesn't deserve to be where she is and that it wasn't her fault for Hannah's death. If Terri or Teresa were put in the same situation that Sherry is in right now… This is all just so confusing. Decisions were so much easier to make with the world we used to have."

"Every decision that we make will be tough from here on out, Jason." Dwight reasoned then sighed while trying to think of what to say next. "I get it. With all the shit that your family has gone through, I understand why you don't want to leave. But you can't believe that your family is any safer here than out there. We made it just fine with zero casualties for four months. We could have had that timeline longer if we didn't run into Negan. Admit it."

Jason exhaled and shrugged. "I guess you're right." He agreed and reached into his pocket with a cigarette and lighter. "I'm with you now, Dwight. Just tell me what the plan is and our family will see it through."

Dwight put his hand on Jason's shoulder. "Thanks, I appreciate it." He replied.

They stood in silence as Jason smoked his cigarette. "So did you parents lost a bet or something?" He teased.

Dwight furrowed his brows at the question. "What?" He asked.

"Your name. Did you parents lose a bet?" He questioned again with a smirk.

Dwight laughed. "No, they willingly wanted to name me that. It was my Grandpa's name from my mom's side." He responded while still chuckling.

"Very nerdy if you ask me," Jason commented as he breathed in some nicotine. "What were you doing before all of this?"

"Now I don't want to tell you," Dwight muttered but still grinned at the conversation.

"You were a nerd, weren't you?" Jason questioned with humor in his voice.

Dwight looked at the road. "I was graduating with a PhD in Computer Science at UGA. I think that qualifies as a nerd." He said while able to joke about it himself.

Jason laughed out loud. "Computer science? I would have never guessed with your crossbow."

Dwight groaned at how the subject matter wasn't going his direction at all. He looked down in shame at his crossbow. "My crossbow was an upgrade from my archery class that I took in college for fun. I saw the crossbow and wanted to use that instead so my teacher let me because I was one of her best students." He divulged quietly.

"An archery class in college?" Jason huffed. "That is too good! What brought that up?"

"You're going to make me sink even lower, aren't you?" Dwight asked. "I was the local fan club president of Lord of the Rings and all of us in the club took the class. Legolas inspired me."

Jason started to laugh once more as Dwight joined in. It was comical even to him. "I don't know who Legolas is but I would say that you have adapted very well since your archery class. You can kill a walker pretty good with that thing." Jason complimented.

Dwight smiled. "Yeah, I'm not really that same kid anymore, that's for sure. He's long gone. I don't think that he's coming back." He said with a small amount of sadness.

They later went in and ate dinner together as a family. They all agreed that they missed a key member of their group and made a pact to try and escape for her. Dwight couldn't help but notice the apprehension in Haruki's eyes when they all agreed to leave Sanctuary but then thought nothing more of it. Haruki alone couldn't stay in Sanctuary if they left and Dwight didn't care to accommodate for him. Life seemed somewhat hopeful that night. They were going to make a plan. And they were going to escape.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Sherry and Yolanda were sitting in the living room of Negan's house reading books that they borrowed from the library. They already ate dinner without Negan which was slightly unusual when he was in town. They had been in Sanctuary for nearly two weeks and Negan regularly came home at seven to eat dinner as Yolanda was free to take care of Jenna after that. Sherry looked at the clock over the fireplace and saw that it said almost twelve.

"Glad we picked up some books at the library." Yolanda commented while she held her book close to her face.

"If you want to, Yolanda, you can just handcuff me and go," Sherry suggested. "That way you can spend some time with Jenna."

"Knowing Dean, he already tucked her in himself. Besides, I don't want to do anything without Negan's permission." Yolanda reasoned.

"Stepping lightly, I see." Sherry observed with a wink.

"There is nothing wrong with kissing up to authority sometimes." She said with a teasing smile.

Sherry snorted at her response then turned her attention back to her book. They remained quiet for several more minutes but Yolanda put her novel down on the coffee table and cleared her throat. "I have to tell you something, Sherry." She said timidly.

Sherry glanced up to see the urgency in Yolanda's eyes and quickly put down her own book while giving Yolanda her full attention.

"A couple of nights ago, we had a meeting with Dwight. He told everyone of your plan to escape sometime soon." Yolanda said slowly as she looked up to Sherry.

There was silence until Sherry urged her onward. "And?" Sherry asked.

"Everyone is in." Yolanda assured but frowned immediately. "That isn't all I had to tell you. When Dwight asked us at first to be a part of it… Some people disagreed and wanted to stay." She put her head down and looked at her lap. "I'm sorry, Sherry. I didn't want to escape at first. Can you please forgive me?"

Sherry felt a lump in her throat form before she could even react another way. She knew it was an enormous possibility that the people in her group wouldn't want to leave. They were safe from walkers within the walls of Sanctuary. She felt guilty for asking them to leave because of that. The place wasn't perfect but who was she to uproot them from the best thing that they had since the whole thing started? _There was always the abandoned mansion, _she thought. She remembered the gated home where Jason &amp; Terri's two oldest children were buried. But even then the walkers found them and they were forced out.

Yolanda was still looking for an answer from Sherry. Sherry swallowed her grief at their predicament and gave her a small smile. "There isn't anything to forgive, Yolanda. I understand your reservations. But we can find somewhere else to live past these gates. I believe that. Please know that I feel bad asking you guys to leave this place. But you have to know that it isn't right to be here. Do you know that?" She inquired tentatively.

Yolanda nodded at the same time the front door opened. They both jumped at the extra noise that they weren't expecting as they heard Negan shush himself then giggled soon after. Sherry could smell the alcohol on him before she saw him enter the living room. He stumbled towards the threshold of the room and leaned against it as he smiled at Sherry then towards Yolanda.

Negan then gestured at the older woman and gave her a maniacal smile. "What are you still doing here? Three-ways are accepted if you're up for it." He slurred while trying to contain his laughter but burst into tears at his own joke.

Sherry and Yolanda both stood up as they felt great unease. Yolanda gave Sherry a cautious stare as Sherry met it with intensity in her own eyes. "If you want to leave, you can," Sherry advised. "I'll be fine, Yolanda."

Yolanda stayed glued in her spot and folded her arms while trying to act brave. She looked to Negan's drunken state then back to Sherry with worry. "I don't feel comfortable leaving you here all by yourself." Yolanda whispered to Sherry with warning.

"Fuck, you heard the woman." Negan exclaimed heatedly. "Get out! Go home! We didn't want you here anyways. Ain't that right, twat?" Negan asked Sherry.

_Now I can say that I have been called that before, _Sherry thought but was still appalled that he called her that. "Yolanda, please go." Sherry urged.

Yolanda slowly made her way past Negan while eyeing him from her peripherals. Once Yolanda passed him at the threshold, he took the opportunity to swat her backside as hurriedly made her way out the door. Sherry's jaw dropped at what he did as the realization set in that she and Negan were alone.

Negan looked to her in mild annoyance and waved off her reaction with a scoff. "Like you haven't thought about swatting Yolanda's ass. Everyone has. Don't give me that look." He spat.

Sherry still didn't know to say or do. Negan stood in front of the doorway; her only way out. Her heart started beating fast. Not since Hannah's death did the mood feel so perilous. Negan eyed her eagerly as alarms blared in her head. He looked at her up and down while she folded her arms over her chest in obvious discomfort. Negan was drunk and Sherry felt very vulnerable being separate from everyone else but him.

He walked towards her slowly as she circled his movements and kept her distance. The coffee table stood right in the middle of them as he was still in front of her one escape route. As Negan kept his eyes in Sherry, she did the same with him but her eyes were wide with fear.

Negan smirked at her reaction of him trying to come onto her and tried to lighten the mood. "Tonight could be the night, Sherry." He coaxed as she took another step away from him.

"No, you're drunk," Sherry murmured low still scared for herself.

"Like that wouldn't be fun," Negan said with a grin. "Think about it. When's the last time you let loose?"

"I don't want to," Sherry said while trying to sound firm but was also fighting back angry tears. She disliked being backed into a corner and feeling helpless.

Negan chuckled darkly while still staring at her chest region. Suddenly, he attempted to jump over the coffee table but tripped when one of feet got caught and fell with a crash. Sherry took the opportunity and ran towards the doorway. His hand grabbed her ankle as she fell into the front room in a heap. He kept his hold on her while he climbed his directly on top of her. Sherry tried to struggle but he was a lot stronger than she gave him credit for. And his drunkenness was almost working as a dead weight which made him feel heavier.

"You like it rough too?" Negan asked while he held her arms down to the side. His lips lingered around her neck as Sherry let out a small sob as she remained defenseless. "I wouldn't have guessed."

He got up slightly as Sherry didn't waste her time and kneed him in the balls then quickly head butted him with her forehead. He let out a breathless wail and actually started to laugh at her aggressiveness. She immediately felt hazy from the force and could feel the blood drip onto her face. He was bleeding generously from his nose but her own blood from her forehead was seeping down into her hair.

He rolled off of her as he continued to snicker. Negan roared in laughter and covered his eyes with his hands. Sherry stood up and looked at him as if he had just gone insane. _What the fuck is wrong with this guy? _She started up the stairs and planned to lock her door with the dresser in front of it for the night. He was completely unhinged and it was terrifying her.

"Wait! Sherry! I'm sorry!" Negan nearly begged while still chuckling like a maniac. He quickly stood up and grabbed for her left arm. His grip was firm as she tried to break away from his touch. Negan then looked to her apologetically as she could clearly see the glazed look in his eyes. "I didn't mean for you to feel scared. Shit, Sherry. I was just having a little fun is all…" His voice trailed off into nothing as his other hand reached towards her chest.

On reflex, her right hand shot up and slapped him across the face. His blood from his already bleeding nose spattered all over the wall by the stairs. He looked to her with shock as he put his fingers to his cheek but then smiled. He then swiftly punched her over the right eye.

…

"So what really happened?" Terri asked Sherry. She winced at the alcohol that Terri placed on her forehead to sanitize it. "You'll need about six or seven stitches, by the way," Terri said almost like a mother would. They were in Sherry's bedroom as they could hear Negan snoring from his own bed. He called for a nurse but by the time Terri got there, Negan was already passed out as Sherry had to yell from her bedroom to come inside since she was already handcuffed to her bed post.

"You saw the stairway when you walked up here," Sherry said convincingly. "There was blood all over the wall. I fell down the stairs. Simple." Terri silently instructed her to hold a piece of gauze on her forehead to apply pressure while she searched for her other items in her nurse bag.

"Except I know that you are lying." Terri criticized with eyebrows raised.

"How?" Sherry challenged.

"Yolanda told me that Negan came home drunk and spanked her ass. She also left you alone because you asked her to leave. I don't need any other clarification." Terri said with sympathy.

"I fell down the stairs. I'm fine." Sherry repeated harshly.

"Why are you defending him?" Terri asked as she hooked the thread into her round needle for sutures.

"I'm not trying to defend him. I'm just telling you the truth," Sherry breathed heavily as she knew the stitches were on its way towards her forehead.

Terri nearly pushed Sherry to down to the bed to lay down so she could stitch her up with minimal movement. "Your initial reaction will want to scrunch your face but that will make my job way more difficult than it has to be. On the gauze was a numbing medication but you'll still feel the needle. Just try and relax your face, please." Terri ordered.

Sherry closed her eyes and pretended that she was somewhere other than where she was at that moment. Terri took a sharp intake of breath. "Sherry, your poor face!" She exclaimed. "The bruise looks worse when you close your eyes." Soon after Terri's outburst, Sherry felt the needle penetrate her head and continued to try and calm her nerves. She hated needles.

"Yolanda said that she told you about the disagreement that our group had a few days ago," Terri began. "You know what I think? You're only trying to cover up for Negan so we think that he's being good to you. That way we can all justify living here. Well guess what, missy, we already voted unanimously. We want you out of here. _We _want out of here. Maybe since your conversation with Yolanda you changed your mind about leaving but we're still set on it. We're going. So this 'I fell down the stairs' bullshit isn't fooling anyone." Terri whispered all of her words just in case Negan woke up. "And sweetie. I'm a nurse. Almost every wife that has been beat by her husband used that same excuse. I'm not stupid."

Sherry sighed as a response. She didn't know what to believe anymore. She didn't know which answer with the right one. Leaving was a good option but it could lead to a lot of deaths if they were caught. Staying was a good option because the children were safe within the walls. Leaving was a bad option because the world outside was unknowing. Staying was a bad option because Negan pretended to be noble when it came to Sherry's virtue. However, she had the sinking feeling that his patience would eventually run dry soon.

"Why does life have to be so complicated nowadays?" Sherry muttered and tried not to mover her lips too much.

"You can talk regularly. I just finished." Terri said.

Sherry sat up and opened her eyes while Terri held a pocket sized mirror to her face so she could see the stitches. Sherry looked at her reflection in dismay. Her eye was nearly black from where he punched her then knocked her out cold. The stitches looked rough but she was sure they were nowhere near as bad as they were when it happened.

"Thank you," Sherry said quietly as she continued to look at herself. The image was startling. She looked beaten and run down because she _had been _beaten and run down. The more they stayed in Sanctuary, the more she could feel herself changing. It was a slow process but Sherry saw the differences when confronted by it. The mirror was one of those moments.

Terri smiled sadly and brought the mirror down. "And your shoulder? Is it still fairing nicely?" Terri inquired.

"Like brand new," Sherry said. "Thanks to you."

Terri looked at her reassuringly. "We love you, Sherry. But we aren't leaving just because of you. We're leaving for all of us. Don't think that you are our burden. I will say though that even though we are leaving for everyone's benefit, we all know that you have provided for our little group so well. And we don't like to see one of our leaders being punched in the face." She explained.

Sherry and Terri hugged each other as she left the room and shut the door. Sherry heard Negan continue to snore as she soon worried if she would get any rest because of it. But once her head hit the pillow, she was out from sheer exhaustion. It had been a very long night.

…

Terri closed the front door to Negan's home and started walking off the porch. She saw a silhouette at the fence but didn't worry as she knew it was her escort home.

"How is she? What happened?" The silhouette asked. She got closer and saw Dwight's eyes wider than she had ever seen them before. He was a combination of both angry and afraid and those emotions were both painstakingly evident.

"She is fine," Terri assured. "I gave her some stitches and she'll recover nicely. No broken bones." They both started walking towards their houses as the stepped onto the sidewalk.

"Terri, please tell me what happened." Dwight said while his voice shook with rage.

"She didn't admit the truth to me, Dwight," Terri started. "We only know the setup from what Yolanda told us. Negan came home drunk and scared Yolanda half to death. Yolanda left and then thirty minutes later, one of Negan's men is knocking on my door and tells me that I need to come to Negan's home. I go and knock on their door. No one answers except I hear Sherry yell for me to come inside. She's handcuffed to her bed and she tells me that she fell down the stairs. Her forehead is literally open and she has a nasty bruise on her face." Terri stopped and looked to Dwight who was seething. "Do you really want to hear what I think happened?"

Dwight was quiet but then nodded. "Please."

"I think Negan tried to force himself on her and she fought back." Terri said finally.

Dwight clenched and unclenched his fists as he tried to shake his head to bring some sensibility back. "I was hoping that your answer would be different than mine."

"I'm sorry," Terri said somberly. "I know it's tough to hear. But I won't sugar coat it for you."

She tried to touch his forearm but he jerked her hand away and walked ahead. She knew he was only lashing out at the situation and not at her. Terri only watched and let him get his anger out.

"Fuck!" He spat as he paced back and forth. He put his hands to his forehead and knelt down in the middle of the street as he breathed heavily. "Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck!" His hand covered his mouth and then he stood back up. "She tried to cover it up? Why?"

"Judging by our conversation with the group, I think she only wanted us to believe that she was okay and that Negan was still treating her with the utmost respect. And I think out of all the people in the group that she doesn't want you to know." Terri tried to help clarify.

Dwight glanced to Terri in confusion. "Me?" He asked.

"By any regular person's labels, you are her boyfriend. She only wants to protect you from the truth. Do you blame her?" Terri questioned.

Dwight shook his head slowly. They walked the rest of the way in their own thoughts. Dwight went straight home after seeing Terri make it to her house safely and then soon crawled in his bed. For hours, he tried to get some sleep but could only think that he would see Sherry's scars for himself once dawn broke. He pondered how he would make Negan pay for what he had done and give him the exact same scars that he had inflicted upon her. He didn't even feel guilty for knowing that he would relish in every minute of bestowing each blow. He would revel in it.

…

_There were about a dozen walkers on the bridge above them as they hid underneath in an empty creek. It was the first supply run that Dwight and Sherry were going on since they arrived at the mansion. At any moment the walkers would pick up their scent._

_Dwight looked behind him towards Sherry. "There is only a dozen. We could take these guys on." He reasoned._

_Sherry glanced above their heads as they heard the walkers shuffle around on the old wooden bridge. "Yeah, okay." Sherry agreed as she took a deep breath to gather courage._

_Dwight raised an eyebrow but smiled at her tenacity. "Think you can handle yourself with your shoulder?" He asked._

_She held her machete up to assure him that she would be fine. "Don't worry, I got this." She commented. Sherry didn't mean for it to sound cocky but she ended it with a wink for humor's sake. _

_He smiled and held his crossbow up. "Draw them to you. You get the ones closest and I'll get the ones straggling behind as we meet in the middle. If anything goes wrong with that plan, we'll improvise." He whispered as Sherry nodded in consent to the plan._

_Without a second thought, she ran out ahead of him and started making loud noises to draw their attention. Sherry continued to move to keep them in a straight line and so she wouldn't be cornered. She climbed out of the shallow ravine in silence as she didn't want to alert any other roamers that were in the area that she was unaware of._

_It was only Dwight and Sherry for that supply run. The others were tired and it had only been a couple of days after the funeral. Sherry didn't want to bother them with saying that they could stand to use more weapons. So they both volunteered to go by themselves. Meanwhile the kids were swimming in the small pond as the parents watched and relaxed for once. The mansion had proved to be a paradise time and time again._

_As much of heaven on earth that it was, Sherry and Dwight felt antsy. They wanted to move and keep their strength. It almost felt nice running around in the ravine while walkers chased her. Sherry could almost feel herself smiling with the adrenaline surging through her body._

_She reached the bridge and jumped back down into the creek that was only a six foot drop. Sherry waited underneath the bridge as walkers clumsily followed her lead then fell on their knees which made their feeble bones crack and break in the process. They still tried to attack her with flailing hands but she and Dwight kept at bay until all of them fell. Once the last one plunged down, Dwight nodded to her as they started their attack. Sherry hacked at all of the walkers in front of her as Dwight shot from nearby. _

_Blood splattered everywhere as she continued to unleash her anger towards the creatures. She blamed them for ruining her life and for squandering the hope of ever seeing her family again. Any sadness that she felt during the last week almost felt better when she was able to kill the ones that started all the heartache to begin with. She loved it._

_Dwight came down and started hacking at the undead with his knife. It was a bloody mess when they finally disposed of the last walker in sight. With deep pants, Dwight and Sherry looked to each other as Dwight smiled wide then started to laugh darkly. Sherry felt puzzled as to why he was humored at the sight of her but then saw that his face had been speckled with blood. Sherry felt the side of her face as it was wet and sticky. She rolled her eyes but didn't feel sickened that they were a mess. That was only their new way of life._

"_This is gross," Sherry said while telling herself that she should have felt more disgusted than she really did. "Why do we think this is remotely funny?" She asked while trying to mask her giddiness that she felt._

"_Man, our sense of humor is morbid nowadays, isn't it?" Dwight agreed as he continued to laugh. "Seriously, you look like Carrie on prom night."_

_She rolled her eyes again. "Ew," She commented then looked to the ravine beneath them. "You'd think this would have some water in it or something. I feel the strange need to clean my face off now."_

_Dwight shrugged but then started to walk where the land started to decline a bit. Sherry followed as they both hoped that there would be fresh water nearby. It was a hot day and the combination of having smelly walker blood didn't sit well with Sherry. She would have dealt with it if she had to but she just hoped that she could have been lucky for once._

_After several minutes, they could see water shine off the sun. They walked towards it with delight and could see that it was a river. Once they reached the edge, they both knelt down and instantly cleaned their faces. Sherry made a pool of water with her palms and splashed it on her face. She scrubbed deeply while enjoying the cold water on her skin as she could feel the grime wash away. Disgusted when she would come upon a dirty spot, she rubbed harder. _

_When she felt satisfied that it was mostly clean enough, Sherry looked up to see Dwight already staring at her with a smirk planted on his face. "Hold on," he said as scooted closer to her. His index finger touched her right eyebrow as he appeared to try and get a smudge of walker blood off. "You missed a spot."_

_Sherry turned away while feeling her face turn red. "That was so cheesy and you know it." She teased while standing up. But even she couldn't deny that the spot on her eyebrow where he touched still tingled slightly._

_Dwight laughed and started following her into the woods once more. "Well, it was worth a shot." He said with a sigh._

_They walked next to each other for a while and came upon a road. They walked for a good forty-five minutes in silence as they looked around to see nothing much in sight but did see a sign that read, _"Hitchhiker's May Be Escaping Inmates."

"_Doubt it." Dwight muttered as they passed it but then they both fell into silence once more._

"_There should be a town nearby if there is a prison here, right?" Sherry asked._

_He nodded as he acknowledged her insight. They continued to walk as they finally saw the outskirts of a small town. "When we were back at the bridge… with the walkers… that was impressive." Dwight complimented while trying to make small talk._

_She glanced up to him and smirked. "I told you that I could handle it," she bragged slightly._

"_It was the way that you moved." Dwight ended up saying but then tried to think of a follow-up remark. "It was almost…graceful." He looked away while his face read embarrassment._

_She smiled knowing that he was flustered with his earlier comment. "Graceful, eh?" She questioned while trying to pick on him a little bit more._

"_I know, it sounded really weird when I said it." Dwight said in a defeated voice._

_She felt bad for him because he was only trying to get to know her. For months, he would try and get her to say something about her past self as she would always stay silent on her end so not to delve into recently painful memories. She took pity on Dwight and finally caved. "Fine! I give in," Sherry started while Dwight looked immediately intrigued. "I have been in ballet lessons since I was three and continued with it even in college."_

_He walked in silence for several moments as the first piece of information that she had personally relayed to him was revealed. He knew that her parents traveled up to Michigan because she told the twins and that she had been an only child. But the news that she just gave him was a big deal. He kept his eyes on the road but then scrunched his eyebrows together. "So you were a ballerina before all of this happened?" He asked in bafflement._

_Sherry was taken aback by the way he said it and lowered her head. "Try and not make it sound too condescending, okay?" She commented almost defensively._

"_No, it's not a put-down. I promise. I am just impressed." Dwight said quickly. "You could walk on your toes and everything?"_

_Sherry rolled her eyes. "Pointe is the correct term, but yes, I was able to do that." She answered._

"_I think that's really cool." Dwight complimented as they continued to walk. "What school were you going to?"_

_She shook her head and smiled up at him. "Nope, I have already said too much." She said as the came up against a street curb while she took the opportunity to use it as a balance beam._

"_Wait, what?" Dwight asked disappointed that she wouldn't answer any more questions. "Is it a secret school run by the Illuminati?"_

_Sherry nodded jokingly. "Oh yeah," She responded sardonically. "They secretly started the outbreak as well." She feigned shock and covered her mouth. "Oh my god, I wasn't supposed to say anything."_

_They both laughed in amusement as Dwight looked up in stopped. He then glanced at Sherry and gestured to something in front of them. Sherry saw what he was motioning towards and smiled at the sight of a gun store. "Perfect!" Sherry exclaimed. "Just what we needed."_

_Dwight broke the front door window the hilt of his knife and reached for the handle from the inside as he worked to unlock it. Sherry kept watch in the surrounding area but Dwight soon opened the door as they both walked inside. Dwight shut the door behind them as they each scoured the front part of store and only found a few bullets that were each different sizes. Other than that, the place had already been ransacked._

"_That sucks," Dwight muttered. "I was hoping for something more out of this supply run than four bullets."_

_Sherry shrugged in response. "I don't mind. I like seeing places that have been picked clean. It means that we aren't the only ones alive." She said as she continued to scout around._

"_That's a very optimistic way to look at it." Dwight praised as he squinted his eyes to see. They were losing sunlight and Dwight knew that they probably were going to have to stay around the town for the night. He didn't mind. The extra alone time with Sherry gave him an opportunity to get to know her more._

_Sherry smiled at his compliment as she went behind the counter. She then looked out the window as her grin instantly faded away then motioned for Dwight to get to where she was with her. He looked out the store's front window and saw the herd coming from the road ahead. He stealthily jumped over the counter as they both knelt down in unison._

_They didn't make a single sound but could hear the walkers getting close to the store. It was a herd that made its way into the small town as they snarled up and down the street. Sherry could hear the growls by the door and window as the walkers continued to meander around with no place in mind. From the look that Sherry got, there were hundreds outside the store._

"_Looks like we're going to be here awhile," Dwight whispered beside her and sat down on his rear instead of his knees. Sherry quietly did the same as they kept hearing for the walkers and their whereabouts._

"_It's going to be a long night," Sherry concurred._

…

Negan ordered thirty men to accompany him on their supply run with Dwight's group included. Dwight, Jason, Dean, Haruki, and Takuya ended up piled in the back of Negan's truck as he drove past the gates of Sanctuary. Dwight was disappointed that he wouldn't be able to stay behind that time. Dwight and Sherry continued to write letters to each other every day but it wasn't enough for him. After he saw Sherry's face stitched up, he wished that he could comfort her in the only way that he knew how. He could only do that with Negan gone. When he did see her that morning, she still maintained that she fell down the stairs. However, she bit the inside of her lip as she said it and Dwight knew she was lying to him.

Dwight looked to his group members that were all armed heavily. He had a feeling that they were there to encounter another community so they could collect Negan's relentless taxes. The particular group that they were visiting was called Hilltop. "What do you think we will be doing?" Dean asked as they continued to drive down the road.

Jason shrugged. "I have a bad feeling about this supply run altogether. Kind of wish that we weren't chosen to be part of this." He said in protest.

They drove for a good half hour until they saw a fence occupied by watchmen perched behind it. The guards at Hilltop hurriedly opened the gate to let Negan's men inside as the slew of trucks drove onto their property. The Saviors started flooding out of their vehicles while members of Hilltop were on standby awaiting instruction. Negan's men then started tossing them empty baskets towards them and laughing as the people scrambled to chase down baskets that were thrown to the ground. Dwight noticed that Alex was one of the men taunting the Hilltop community but then smirked when he saw Alex would sometimes wince when putting weight on his leg that Dwight injured.

"Not the smartest son of a bitch, is he?" Jason muttered to Dwight and smiled in return from his comment as they both jumped out of the truck.

Negan looked at his men and picked Dwight from the crowd. "Have your men help Hilltop load the supplies in the trucks," Negan commanded. "Jason and you will come with me."

Dwight turned to Dean as the older man nodded that he heard Negan's demands as they all went to pick up the leftover baskets on the ground. Jason and Dwight ambled towards the mansion that stood in the middle of the community and entered inside.

"Gregory!" Negan belted out in the large foyer room while waiting for a response. "C'mon, Gregory! I saw the supply pile by the gate. It's pretty fucking low. What the fuck is up with that?" He nonchalantly started swinging Lucille around as they walked into the living room.

A man with balding hair started down the stairs and had his hands clasped together. He looked to be in his early sixty's and was shorter than most. "Supplies were tight, this week, I know." Gregory replied with distress in his voice. "It will be better next week, Negan."

"Yeah? And why aren't the supplies good enough this week?" Negan countered. They all walked into a small office room besides the stairs as Gregory first fumbled with his words.

"Our members have been preoccupied with herds that have come towards the gates. Herds that we just couldn't ignore. And as you know, we don't have proper weapons to protect ourselves with." Gregory finally said.

"Excuses, excuses, Greg," Negan ridiculed as he studied Gregory up and down. Negan then snorted as Gregory fidgeted in his place. "Look, the guards aren't the ones that are supposed to collect food. So I see no correlation as to why my supplies are affected."

"Our guards needed help with a massive herd that came our way," Gregory started. "If you were protecting us from walkers then we wouldn't have a problem."

Negan gawked at Gregory in disbelief and shook his head. "Shit, Gregory. We are trying to build a fucking army and that's what you say to me? I gather as many men as I can. Sometimes a herd is going to slip past us. But if they do, it's not my problem." Negan said in a venomous voice. Gregory shrunk a little more at the intensity that Negan had and said nothing more on the subject.

"Go get that one guy. You know, that guy guarding at the front of the gates right now." Negan instructed as he pointed outside. Gregory stood still and gawked at Negan's request.

Negan looked at Gregory as if he was stupid and spoke back to him like so. "Go – get – your – man – at – the – front – of – the – gates." He scolded.

The man scurried away as Negan laughed at the man's mousiness then stared at both Dwight and Jason. "What a cunt that guy is, am I right?" He said.

Jason and Dwight both felt awkward being there. Dwight's gut feeling echoed what Jason said while they were in the truck. He had a very bad feeling about what was going to happen. Soon Gregory returned with the man that Negan had pointed out. Dwight observed as the man that he called upon looked just slightly older than a teenager. The kid looked to Negan then quickly stared down at the floor from being intimidated by Negan's very presence. "Gregory tells me that you have been fighting herds lately." Negan almost said in a compliment as he paced around the room.

The kid nodded slowly while his legs started to shake.

"Apparently, it affected my supplies. Did you see the load of supplies out there? It's shit, really. A small amount of shit. You are currently standing guard at the gates. So herds are your area of expertise. However, if your job is affecting the jobs of others in the community, that makes it my problem. See where I'm going with this?" Negan inquired.

The teenager shook his head. Negan quickly grabbed for the back of the boy's neck and harshly shoved him to the ground. "Gregory didn't want to tell you this so I'm going to have to do his dirty work. You're being relieved of your job, kid! Hilltop no longer needs your services. Oh, and you are going to die in one fucking minute." Negan sneered but then looked to Gregory in disgust. "What a pussy, Gregory is. We have to clean up all of his messes, don't we?"

Negan then looked to Dwight and smiled sadistically as he pointed to the young man on the floor. "Shoot him in the motherfucking back of the head with your crossbow," Negan ordered heartlessly. "Then we'll be on our way and out of this place."

Dwight looked confused as he gazed from Negan to the man on the floor who started to cry uncontrollably. "What?" Dwight stammered out.

Negan motioned at Dwight's crossbow and at the kid again. "Shoot him."

Dwight didn't make a move to deliver his order. Shooting Alex in the leg was one thing but taking someone's life was something that he had never done before. There were times where he contemplated taking a life when he thought of scenario's where his group was overtaken by bad men. In the case where that actually was the scenario, he hesitated. The man lying on the floor was innocent and a good person. Dwight couldn't even fathom what Negan had asked him to do.

Negan sighed and then walked closer to Jason then pointed Lucille right in his face. "Shoot him or I'll kill Jason." He snapped. "And after what happened with Hannah, I suggest you do it the first time I ask you to. Even though I already asked you twice. But this time I'll let it slide."

Jason looked at Dwight with the same look that Hannah had when she heard Negan give a similar ultimatum to Sherry. Dwight didn't doubt Negan and stepped closer to the man without consciously being there. Dwight started panting as he brought the crossbow up and aimed it at the man…a boy. He had limited time to think about his actions as his thoughts became scrambled in his mind. _Jason is a good man and a father. Terri doesn't deserve to see another one of her family member's die. If I can prevent his death, I have to do it, _Dwight thought. _This man is probably a good person too._

Dwight started shaking but kept his aim at the man's head. He couldn't think about it any longer. He couldn't stand to hear the boy's cries anymore. He pressed his finger down on the trigger as the bolt went flying in the short distance threw the teenager's skull. The cries instantly became silent.

Dwight dropped his crossbow on the floor in repulsion as he could feel tears threaten to make way. He stumbled backwards while breathing heavily as he could hear Negan start to laugh at his expense. He had killed someone. It was after he did it that so many more thoughts came into his mind. He would have rather killed himself than make that decision again. He wished that he could turn back time and reverse what he had just did. Instead he felt Jason grab him by the forearm and guided him out of the room. "We're done here," Jason said. "We'll be outside."

The stepped out of the room as Dwight could hear Negan whistle at the dead body. "You have an axe around here I can borrow?" Negan inquired to Gregory.

They quickly walked out towards the trucks as Dwight tried to think of what just happened. He was in shock. The feeling was encased around him and gave him no room to escape.

"Dwight…" Jason said worriedly.

Dwight looked up to him and blinked several times. "He would have killed you, Jason. Terri and the boys wouldn't have had you anymore." Dwight said while trying to bring the reasoning to his own awareness.

"I'm not worried about me. I'm worried about you! Dwight, you just killed a man in cold blood back there!" Jason stressed.

Dwight breathed slowly and deeply then looked in Jason's eyes. "It's fine. I'll be fine." He tried to assure.

"Dwight, I don't…" Jason started.

"Jason!" Dwight said almost angrily. "I'll be fine." He walked towards the trucks again as Jason stood there watching him. He reached Dean as the man smiled at him. Dwight couldn't even look him in the eye as he reached for a basket of eggs and started loading them in one the Saviors vans.

"Dwight!" Negan yelled behind. Dwight cringed visibly at the sound and turned around to see Negan holding the bolt while it was still attached to the young man's head. Negan took the time to behead the kid as he waltzed towards the trucks with a skip in his step. Members of Hilltop started to scream as they shouted the teenager's name. Dwight tried to tune out their cries but to no avail. Knowing the man even had a name made his stomach twist into knots. Negan then threw the head to Dwight who didn't even bother trying to catch it as it rolled to his feet. "At least take the arrow out," Negan encouraged as he stepped into the driver's seat of his truck and closed the door behind him.

Dwight spared a look up to Dean, Haruki, and Takuya who in turn gawked at him with their mouths agape. Haruki turned his head and started to puke at the sight of a recently beheaded man. Jason reached them and whispered no doubt what happened to clue them in as they all looked to Dwight with sympathy.

With reluctance, Dwight put his foot on the man's face as he tugged the bolt out. A woman stepped closer and fell to her knees while sobbing loudly at the sight. Dwight could see the woman was older and bore a similar resemblance to the boy. Dwight blinked back the tears as he jumped into the truck and sat behind Negan.

Life would never be the same again.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Dwight and his men remained silent as they drove in the back of Negan's truck. Every so often, one of the men would glance over to Dwight but then quickly looked down and pretended to be preoccupied with something else. With every second that passed, Dwight felt his stomach rot with guilt even more. As much as he tried to ignore the cries of Hilltop, the boy's name echoed in his ears to the point that that was all he could hear. _Drew._

The noises around seemed to mesh together as he thought over and over again what he had done. He could never go back from it. That moment, as brief as it was, would be a part of him for the rest of his life. He saved Jason's life. But at what cost? Drew wasn't the enemy. Neither was Jason. Negan and Dwight were.

"Dwight." He heard someone say but didn't respond. He felt it inappropriate to respond. Dwight was someone else. He didn't even know who he was anymore. He wondered if Negan would have him do that again. The second that thought entered his mind, he already knew the answer. Negan had leverage over his head. He could command him to do the most heinous thing in the world and Dwight would do it simply to protect his family. Even after the events that just passed, Dwight knew he would do it again. _What's wrong with me?_

The name Drew wasn't so much of a whisper as it grew into loud shouts in his mind. He was starting to get a migraine from hearing that name etch itself in his brain. He couldn't shake it out but instead let it burn so the guilt could sink in further so humanity could reign once more. He hoped to keep some semblance to a human being; even though he didn't think he could much longer.

He continued to hear Drew's mother call out for her son. Then Dwight could hear his own mother shout for Dwight in a disappointed voice. Dwight felt that kill him inside.

"Dwight!" He heard again as Dwight was pushed back into reality to see his group looking at him with worry written on their faces. He gazed at one person to the other as he felt sweat roll down his face for the first time. "Are you doing okay, son?" Dean asked, his voice filled with concern.

Dwight blinked and brought his sleeve to his face to wipe the sweat away. He hoped no one noticed his hand shook violently while he did so. "I'm fine." Dwight said unconvincingly.

"You look the opposite of fine," Jason maintained. "If you need to talk, let us know. We're here for you."

Dwight shook his head in protest. "I don't need to talk. I'm fine." He said coldly.

They looked to each and gave questioning stares. Neither of them knew what to do or say at that point. From the corner of his eye, he could see Dean mouth to Jason, 'What do we do now?' He saw Jason shrug in response and chose to glance at the scenery around them. After several more minutes of painful silence, he felt the car slow down and heard the familiar growling in front of them. When he looked up, he could see the gates that protected Sanctuary. The gate opened and their trucks filed inside while they closed the gate back up. They all climbed out of the truck with somber faces as each of them put a hand on Dwight's shoulder at separate times in small comfort. Except Haruki. Dwight briefly remembered hearing gagging noises on the ride home and guessed it was Haruki trying not to puke.

Dwight rolled his eyes in consternation upon seeing Negan walk up to him and his group. "Get the supplies out of the trucks quickly," Negan instructed. "We're heading out again."

"Where are we going now?" Dwight asked with mild attitude. He didn't ever want to go on a supply run with Negan again.

"You and your men are staying here," Negan insisted. "You were fucking impressive today but you just aren't ready for what the other half of the supply run consists of."

Negan left and Dwight breathed a sigh of relief. The men did as they were instructed to do and moved the supplies to the building next to the gate. It didn't take long as many other Saviors assisted them while Dean took the time to start making a list of their inventory. And just like that, Negan and his men were gone.

"Did they say how long they would be gone for?" Dwight asked Jason quietly.

Jason shook his head in response. "I did hear some guys make bets. All of them said in between three to five days." Jason said then looked to Dwight. "I would take this opportunity to go see her. If you won't talk to us, you should probably talk to her about what happened."

Dwight blinked and looked at the dirt beneath him. "I will most definitely talk to her. But I don't know if I can say what I did." Dwight admitted.

"Maybe not yet…" Jason started. "But you need to talk to somebody. It sure as hell won't be healthy if you keep it to yourself."

"Thanks, Dr. Phil." Dwight said sarcastically.

Jason patted his shoulder again. "It might seem out of place but I am grateful for what you did. A part of me feels terrible for saying that but I'm glad that I get to live another day to be with my wife and sons. Even if it means that someone isn't able to tonight." Jason divulged.

Jason left as Dwight decided to wash up and try to get some rest. He knew who he was going to see that night and he already felt much better knowing that.

…

Sherry liked to walk around the town and get into as many buildings as she could. She knew it would be a good hobby to have every time that Negan left Sanctuary. Her dad didn't teach her everything about being a cop and what it entailed but she learned how to be observant. When she navigated her way through the town, she saw places to hide that were less guarded and places to snipe if necessary. Sherry knew that if they were to escape, they would have to do it quietly. But if their situation got sticky, they could attempt to have the upper hand. Things could get violent but she was prepared.

Sherry had doubts about their escape plan and knew it wasn't perfect yet. However, they wouldn't act on it until it was. It seemed that Negan got them to stay where they were because he was a great manipulator and used people against others. She knew that the only way to get out was to play his game just for a little bit longer.

Dismay was written on her face as she was searching one of the taller buildings by the court house. She could hear the gate opening and Negan's trucks coming inside Sanctuary. They were only gone for several hours. Instead of greeting Negan like she knew he would have liked, she observed from the window but kept herself from getting too close so as not to draw attention in her direction. She could see Dwight and Negan talking to each other. Negan had a smug look on his face while he spoke to Dwight who mostly stared at the ground. She was a distance away and couldn't hear the conversation but could sense that something was wrong with Dwight by the way he stood.

Once their little discussion was over, Dwight joined the members of their group and unloaded supplies while some Saviors gassed up the trucks to be full again. When their tasks were complete, Negan and two dozen men were off once more as Dwight and her group stayed behind. Sherry felt elated as the gate closed while creating as much distance from her and Negan as possible. She hadn't really talked to him since their fight. He apologized for it but Sherry knew the words were empty from any sorrow that he could have felt on her behalf.

Sherry looked away from the window and walked in the middle of the empty room. The wide open space consisted only of white or brick walls and a wooden floor. As she walked to the corner of the room, the floor creaked endlessly which made Sherry think it was going to cave into the room beneath her. She then reached in the back of her jeans and produced a pocket knife that she stole from Terri's nurse bag just the night before. She knelt and started cutting at the edges of one wood plank. She knew it would be a long process but regardless it was worth it to have a place for weapons when they escaped.

She wiped at the sweat on her forehead as she tried to coax the wooden plank from its secure spot. It took less time than expected as she grabbed for the side that she had been working on and pulled tightly. She ripped it out the rest of the way and looked at her new hiding spot. She placed the pocket knife inside and put the plank above it then swept the sawdust that came with the process. Sherry wanted it to look like dust collected in the room and less like foul play.

Satisfied with her work, she walked down the stairs of the building. She looked at her surroundings before emerging from the front door then started to walk on the sidewalk. She walked towards Negan's house with a skip in her step. It wasn't a good plan in motion yet but it was something that she had to look forward to.

…

"_I miss my laptop." Dwight said quietly as they sat stranded in the middle of the gun store. The herd still didn't leave the small town and remained lingering around much to Sherry's dismay. The sun already had set and it was very dark inside their little temporary safe haven but Dwight and Sherry didn't dare turn on the flashlight to draw attention to themselves._

"_That's the thing that you miss the most?" Sherry questioned to him._

"_Yeah," Dwight retained. "I did all of my work on that thing. Everything I needed was in there. My music, my work, ways to network with clients, updating websites that I helped manage… Unfortunately, none of those things really matter in the scheme of things, do they?"_

_Sherry looked at the shelves in front of them as they leaned against the cashier's counter space and took a deep breath. "I miss dancing. It didn't really give my any skills for this world but that doesn't mean that it was pointless. It was my lifestyle." Sherry said while reminiscing._

"_I'm sure you were really good at it," Dwight said delicately while not taking advantage of the rare occasion that Sherry happened to open up about her personal life. "Plus, seeing you in a tutu would have been priceless."_

_Sherry rolled her eyes at his remark as he started to laugh quietly. "Oh, brother," she grumbled. They then heard scraping at the window as all jokes ceased. Dwight and Sherry immediately tensed at the noise while they both looked over the counter to investigate. A walker with an exposed bone protruding from his arm was only walking next to the window as the bone skidded against the window. He soon meandered away while they both took a sigh of relief knowing their hideout wasn't yet found._

"_Do you ever just look at those things and want to stab the hell out of them?" Dwight asked as he took his seat again._

_Sherry nodded. "Every time I kill one of those things, I feel like I am avenging the world that was before all of this. I know that probably sounds dumb."_

_He smiled in her direction. "I do the same thing too." Dwight confided._

_She looked at him then scoffed with a grin. "You are so cheesy, Dwight." She teased._

_Dwight acted offended and put a hand to his mouth. "Why would you say that?" He inquired._

"_Look, just because we think the same thing when we kill biters, doesn't mean that we are bosom friends." Sherry said as a matter-of-factly._

_Dwight arched his eyebrow at what Sherry said then nodded his head slowly. "Bosom friends?" He asked. "I like the sound of that. What does that entail?"_

"_Pervert," Sherry said with a light giggle. "You made something innocent into something gross."_

"_What is so innocent about bosom friends?" He asked with an incredulous face. Sherry didn't mind and enjoyed seeing him that animated._

"_You haven't seen _Anne of Green Gables_?" She questioned._

"_I haven't even heard of it." Dwight admitted._

_It was her turn to give a disbelieving look. "Seriously? Seriously?!" She asked. He nodded in response as she gasped at his lack of knowledge with novels. "_Anne of Green Gables_ was my favorite movie growing up. We were supposed to read it for sixth grade but I got really bored with the writing and wasn't really into reading. So my mom bought the movie and we watched it. After that, I read the book as I viewed the movie in my head. It played out like the film. So it became more enjoyable. And that's how I grew to love reading." She told._

_He was quiet for a moment but then opened his mouth to say his thoughts out loud. "I'm sorry but what does that have to do with bosom friends?" He teased._

_Sherry gave a breathless laugh. "Anne becomes friends with a girl name Diana. And they do everything together. Anne gets Diana into trouble and Diana's mother tells her not to be friends with Anne because she's a bad influence. They then vow to become bosom friends 'as long as the sun and the moon shall endure.'" Sherry explained._

"_Wow," Dwight said with no hint of sarcasm. "That's kind of poetic… Definitely not perverted… For once, you have proven me wrong."_

"_For once?" Sherry said and shook her head with a smile. "Get used to it then."_

…

_They both drifted off to sleep as they felt the walkers wouldn't bother with the store. Even if they did, they could try and outrun them. Sherry was the first to awake from her sleep. She couldn't stand another minute pretending that she was comfortable sleeping on the floor. It was the early stages of morning as the sun was rising nicely. She hated sleeping when it was light outside. Sometimes they wouldn't have a choice but she would never get any rest no matter how tired she was. Only certain circumstances if she had an injury or was sick._

_Sherry looked around and saw Dwight sleeping five feet away from her. She felt awkward staring at him while he slept but couldn't help but stare at his peaceful face. Sherry couldn't deny that he was pretty handsome. His personality was also infectious to the people around him as he always tried to brighten someone's day. Sherry liked that he tried to keep his hair somewhat short when he had an opportunity to cut it but noticed he had loose curls whenever it grew out from being on the road too long. He also didn't look that bad with a beard._

_She managed to look away and shook her head at herself for thinking about Dwight for too long. He was a friend; nothing more. She crawled away from the counter and saw that there was small office space past the back of the store shelves that had all been ransacked as well. She almost reached the room when her hands grazed something against the floor. Sherry looked down and saw bolts for crossbows. There were more than just a small amount too._

"_Dwight!" She said in an excited whisper. He promptly sat and blinked the sleep away as he grabbed for his crossbow quickly. Within seconds, he was already on one knee in a defensive stance and ready for action._

"_What happened?" Dwight whispered but then saw her not too far away with no alarm on her face. He lowered his weapon and let his guard down a little bit as he made his way over to her._

_When he got to where she was, she pointed to the bolts. "Will these work for your crossbow?" She asked._

_Dwight glanced to where she was pointing as his eyes widened. "Holy shit! Jackpot!" He exclaimed quietly as he knelt down beside her and started observing each bolt and sizing it up for good measure. With every bolt that worked with his crossbow, his smile got wider and wider. "This is Christmas day for me," he breathed as he picked up the last bolt on the ground._

"_How many would that be for you?" Sherry inquired._

"_That is twenty-two more bolts to add to my five," Dwight beamed. "Good thing that I brought a bag that will fit all of these babies."_

_Sherry looked around the store then back to Dwight with an eyebrow raised. "There's probably a ladder to the roof around here somewhere…" She said while keeping the end of her thought up in the air._

_He eyes her questioningly. "Uh-oh. What are you thinking, Sher?" He asked._

_She shrugged. "All of those walkers that we saw yesterday can't all still be around. There might have been a couple that lingered and we can handle those ones. Particularly you with your crossbow. I don't want to draw attention with my gun." Sherry suggested._

_He gazed at all his new bolts and sighed. "I guess it's about time to head out." He agreed but glanced at her sternly. "But if we see more than twenty, we stay put."_

"_Pshaw. Pansy," Sherry joked as she got up on her feet and crouched behind the counter to peer out the window without being too obvious. She then saw him do the same as they both watched to see if anything happened. They didn't even see a single walker outside which was a promising sign._

_They stepped away from the counter and towards the front part of the store as two walkers came into view. "Nothing to worry about yet," Sherry commented. "We could take those motherfuckers."_

"_Okay, Lieutenant Ripley." Dwight teased as Sherry grinned at the complimenting comparison which didn't sound bad to her in the slightest._

_They stood at the door quietly and both looked to each other. "There is probably a ladder to the roof at the back of the building," Sherry reasoned. "Once we open this door, we book it."_

_Dwight nodded his consent at her instructions. "Going to the back from the right of the building," He added._

_Sherry nodded back. "Roger that, going right." She grabbed the door knob. "One – two – three!" She opened the door and they both ran to the right of the building with their knives unsheathed. In the alley next to the store, they saw five walkers that immediately started growling at their presence._

"_I'll get the ones on the left side." Dwight said._

"_Right side," Sherry answered back as she approached the first walker in her path. She kicked the walker's chest and pushed it back with all her might so it ran the walker behind it, sending them both to the ground. She walked towards them as they tried to awkwardly get back on their feet. While heading towards them, she stabbed one of the Dwight's walkers in the head without skipping a beat. The walker that she kicked was the first to stand up and before it could react, she stabbed the top of its head. The other walker tried but failed to get up as Sherry pushed it back to the ground as it laid on its stomach. She stabbed the back of its head twice for good measure. _

_Once she finished, she breathed out the adrenaline that surged through her body. She turned to see Dwight slicing the throat of his last walker as he then stabbed it in the eye. They nodded and headed towards the ladder which was finally in their sight. Sherry scaled the ladder first with Dwight on her tail. They reached the top of the roof without any problems and both looked at the sight from the rooftop. Several walkers heard their commotion in the alley but hadn't spotted them yet. They laid low for several moments until they heard their moans calm down then peered up to observe. Once again, the walkers started meandering to no particular spot._

_Sherry glanced to Dwight but then saw he was staring at something intently. She followed his gaze and saw a man that had committed suicide with a gun in his hand. There were several more bolts around him and a crossbow beside his chair. He looked like he had been dead since the whole outbreak began._

"_So this is the guy that made my day brighter," Dwight said quietly. He stooped down to pick up the bolts on the roof floor. "Rest in peace, man."_

_With that, Dwight had a total of thirty five bolts. Sherry smiled at his never ending ammo and briefly thought about taking up the crossbow for that convenience but instantly thought better of it. She admired anyone who took up crossbow after the apocalypse knowing it could have required a lot of patience. "Alright, let's see how good you really are with that thing." Sherry urged as they stepped towards the edge to see all the walkers surrounding them._

_Dwight smiled back at her and winked. "We'll be out of here in fifteen minutes. Start the countdown." He then took aim at his first victim that was on the other side of the street and took two breaths as he pulled the trigger. He hit the walker on the forehead and it fell to the ground in a heap. She smiled widely as he picked up another bolt and reloaded his crossbow._

_She looked around and saw about twenty more walkers nearby but knew that they would soon be dead within the near future. Dwight kept with the same routine for the next ten walkers until he missed one walker's head by a hair._

_Sherry feigned a disgraced look. "Tsk, tsk. You just lost the winning streak." She lamented._

_He loaded and aimed at the same walker who was staring widely itself while wondering what flew around its head. Dwight took one last glance through his scope then looked to Sherry as he pulled the trigger without keeping his eye on the target. The walker went down dead._

"_Good recovery by showing off," Sherry breathed while silently clapping her hands._

_More walkers fell to the ground until there was only one left. It was the furthest of the bunch and reached around eighty yards away. "Think you can do this one?" Sherry asked._

"_Nope. But I'll try my best," Dwight said not so confidently. He aimed and watched the biter for a little bit through his scope. Sweat beaded down his forehead form concentrating so much but then he let out a sign and put his crossbow down. "Fuck it. If this is the only one left, I'll just move closer."_

_They got off the roof and stepped towards the walker but once they were sixty yards away, Dwight took aim once more and shot it. It the walker in the collar bone but Sherry was still impressed. Sixty yards was no easy feat. "How are you so good at this?" Sherry asked._

_Dwight shrugged and appeared slightly bashful at the praise. "I have a lot of target practice with the walkers. It's no big deal." He said._

"_There has only been a handful of times that I have seen you miss with that thing," Sherry continued. "It's kind of a big deal."_

"_Thanks, ma'am," Dwight said while he added a little Southern twang to it. Sherry's heart beat a little faster at his natural effort of flirting with her but she chose to avoid it. "The best part about bolts? You get to collect each and every single one." He said with a quick sigh._

_They split up and yanked every bolt from the head of every walker. Dwight retrieved the bolt that missed the one walker that he missed and then put them all in his bag. When they were finished, Sherry and Dwight headed out from the direction that they came from. The supply run with slightly unfruitful in some ways but their group had enough food to survive for several more weeks. They weren't in immediate danger._

_Sherry could consider Dwight as more than just an acquaintance from their trip. Despite the world looking somewhat dismal, she was glad to know that she had someone that she could count on. It made at least one thing seem right in the world._

…

Yolanda and Sherry had just finished eating dinner and cleaning the dishes when Yolanda told Sherry that she was going to go spend the rest of the night with her daughter. "I can trust you to tuck yourself into bed, right?" She asked somewhat sarcastically.

Sherry grinned. "I'll stay in bed but I won't handcuff myself while Negan is gone," she said. "I don't trust it."

"Why don't I just stay here tonight?" Yolanda asked sweetly. "That way you don't have to be alone in this place. All of the men know Negan's gone and that you are on your own. That's scary."

"I'll lock the front door and my room." Sherry assured while she took a small bandage off her forehead. She put it there she it wouldn't be caught on anything when she slept. "I'll be careful. Spend time with Jenna, Yolie. I promise, I'll be fine."

Yolanda frowned at seeing Sherry's face. "I regret ever saying that we were okay living here. Please forgive me." She lamented.

Sherry glanced up at Yolanda but then focused on putting another clean bandage in its place. "You're a mom. You were only doing your best to protect what's yours." She reasoned.

Yolanda still looked unconvinced. "That is still no excuse." She responded but then sat beside Sherry at the kitchen table. "Do you have any new plans?"

"Just one. There is a building by the courthouse that is completely empty. I am going to stash everything we can use as a weapon underneath the floorboards. When we actually make the escape, we'll use those to defend ourselves if things go awry." She explained. "It's not much of a plan but it's at least something."

Yolanda nodded. "If you need any help, let me know." She offered.

Sherry reached to hug her. "Of course. Thanks for being a big help to me already. I don't know what I would do without you." She declared warmheartedly. They embraced for a while longer then Yolanda and Sherry parted ways while Yolanda left the house. Sherry locked the door behind her, checked the back door's lock then went upstairs to her room. Once she felt her room was secure enough, she turned her lights off and sat on her bed.

"I was surprised that you came to see me so early," Sherry whispered and looked towards the closet. The closet door slowly slid open as Dwight emerged from it and sat next to her. His moves were crestfallen while his shoulders slumped in a depressing manner. Sherry could easily tell that something was wrong. "Sorry I had to keep you waiting."

"I just…couldn't wait at my house anymore." Dwight said while his voice sounded miles away while his thoughts were somewhere else. Something occurred when Dwight went on his supply run with the Saviors. She didn't know what it could have been that shook him but it was something life changing.

"Dwight, what happened?" Sherry asked worriedly.

He looked at her as if scared that she would think differently of him if she were to know. Dwight was vulnerable in that moment as he sighed deeply from the inward pain that he felt. "There isn't an easy way to say it." Dwight uttered.

"Then just say it." She encouraged as she reached for his hand and intertwined her fingers with his. Dwight held on tightly as he looked around the room unsure of where to begin.

"Negan…made me do something on the supply run today," Dwight began. "He taxes this place called Hilltop for additional protection to their town. He thought the supplies were low and wanted to make them pay…" He broke off trying to think of the next thing to say.

Sherry had a gut feeling that she already knew the answer. Her heart felt for Dwight as she knew both him and Negan. Dwight would have never done anything bad and Negan was full of giving people either/or scenario's. Whatever Dwight had to do was done against his will. "Dwight?" She asked softly.

Dwight looked her in the eyes as she saw a stinging sense of remorse in his soul. What transpired was something that Dwight could never take back. It was a permanent mark against his entire self that he would bear for the rest of his life. Sherry wished that she could take on part of that pain and carry it for him. Or that she could control time and take back what he had to do.

"I had to do it," Dwight continued. "He threatened to kill Jason if I didn't do it… Sher, I killed an innocent man today." Sherry made a breathless gasp as she tried to keep her reaction to herself. She had her suspicions but to hear him verify it made it all the more real. It still was unbelievable all the same.

"Dwight… I'm so sorry," She conveyed quietly as he almost winced at the sympathy that she gave him. It hurt to think that he was the victim in the situation because he didn't feel that way. He could have killed himself before committing the crime against anyone else. He could have tried to have gone after Negan and dealt with the consequences later. There were so many things that he could have done. Yet, the unpredictability that was Negan made Dwight shut the 'what if's' away. If Dwight walked out of line, he wasn't the one to be disciplined. Dwight could have shot himself and Negan would have killed Jason anyways. If Dwight killed Negan, the other Saviors could have lashed out amongst all of Hilltop and they would have been massacred.

Sherry hugged Dwight as he wrapped his arms around her tightly and refused to let go. Despite being the worst person on the planet, he still accepted the comfort; even if he felt undeserving of it. Sherry backed away slightly to look him in the eyes again. He forced himself to hold her gaze but it almost hurt him in the process. "We need to get out of here, Dwight." She said strongly.

Dwight nodded as their embrace fell away and he reached for her hand instead. "Sher, if we stay, he's going to have me do that again on almost every supply run that I go on. He can have me do anything that he wants me to because he knows that I'll do it. I have too much to lose if I refuse," Dwight said as he thought of the ultimate punishment if he fell out of line. Sherry would be threatened…because of him. He cared about her too much to have that happen on his account. He was sure that he would feel the guilt tenfold if Sherry were affected by his actions.

Sherry was quiet as she considered what Dwight said. As if forming an idea in her head, she looked to Dwight and squeezed his hand. "Tell me about the man you killed," Sherry asked innocently.

The request nearly startled Dwight as he just shook his head in reply. "I don't even want to think about him right now." Dwight declared in a pained voice.

"What if I said that it helped?" Sherry offered. "You need to tell yourself that you didn't kill him; Negan did. It was out of your control. You were just a pawn."

He sighed while Sherry waited patiently for him to say something. When he didn't say anything, Sherry laid down on her bed and patted the space beside her. Dwight joined her and held her tightly but said nothing more. They stayed silent for what seemed like hours. None of them were tired yet felt exhausted at the same time. They were both too lost in their thoughts and simply needed the comfort from the events of the last several days.

Sherry nearly drifted off to sleep when Dwight finally spoke up. "He had blond hair and kept it trimmed unlike most people," Dwight confided. Sherry lifted her head to rest her chin on his chest to look at him. He just stared up at the ceiling while trying to remember everything about the young man that he had murdered. "He didn't even have facial hair. He was young – probably nineteen or twenty. He had a mother." He sighed at the thought of seeing the older woman fall at her knees from her perished son. "That's all I really know."

"Does he have a name?" Sherry inquired with her voice not even sounding groggy from almost being asleep. She wanted to be present for Dwight as best as she could.

_Drew, _Dwight thought. "No," he lied. "Not that I know of."

_Drew._


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

It was early in the morning at Sanctuary. Dwight left with a kiss on her forehead and snuck out of the back door. Yolanda came fifteen minutes later as they both prepared breakfast. Sherry then asked if she could go on a morning walk around Sanctuary. Yolanda smiled and said that she didn't even have to ask permission. With that, Sherry was on her way as she held a library book in hand and walked to the new schoolhouse.

When she arrived, she saw the children studying math. There were about twelve children of all ages. Jenna looked up and saw Sherry approaching as she waved with a smile. Sherry waved a hello back while passing the guards at the door. Sherry went to the bookcase that she took the book from a week earlier but didn't return it. Instead she got another book and put it above the book already in her arms. She took both books and walked back outside while she could hear them briefly cat call in her direction but didn't say anything about it.

Suddenly, there was a noise at the front gates. She looked over to see Jason &amp; Takuya fighting. All of the guards on the roofs of high buildings immaturely tried to spur on the skirmish and yelled, "fight, fight, fight" in repeat. She rolled her eyes but looked up to the nearest building next to the schoolhouse was watching the fight as well. Without another moment to lose, Sherry walked briskly to the back of the library and then crawled inside the shrubbery that was directly beside the gate. The gate snarled at her presence but once she got closer, she just sat there and opened her book. Inside the pages, she cut a space that fit a small kitchen knife inside. She knew that she had to take it back to Negan's house eventually but fortunately, he wasn't around to notice it missing.

She remembered telling Dwight that morning to have Haruki and Takuya stage a fight for five minutes so she didn't have much time. She wondered why it was Jason and Takuya rather than Haruki in the fake brawl like she had originally planned. _Perhaps Haruki was held up elsewhere_, she assumed to herself. She took the knife and started stabbing at the walker heads in a four foot radius. She wanted the space around the shrubbery to be clear when they finally left Sanctuary once and for all. Once they were killed, she was able to focus on the diamond shaped fence that they were all attached to. She touched the metal between two walker heads and looked beyond the gates towards freedom. She sighed and smiled. They were close to escape.

…

She brought the knife back out of the book and cleaned it in the sink at Negan's home. Yolanda saw the knife but didn't say a word and knew that Sherry was up to something. Sherry glanced towards Yolanda who leaned on the fridge. Sherry saw the look on Yolanda's face that she wanted to ask more questions but refrained from doing so. Sherry grinned at her and looked back down to her task. "What do you want to know?" She asked.

"Did you kill anyone?" Yolanda inquired as she looked to the dark splotches that freckled the sink.

Sherry smirked at her question and shrugged. "If I did, would you be mad at me?" She countered back.

Yolanda thought about it and shook her head. "No. If anything, you would have had your reasons." She reasoned.

"Well, luckily, it didn't have to come to that," Sherry clarified and then took a dish towel to dry the clean knife. "I just made some improvements to the gate next to the schoolhouse."

Yolanda smiled. "I figured Jason &amp; Takuya's fight was a little out of place."

Sherry gazed around the house and contemplated their next step. "We need to have a meeting with our group tonight. Make some plans and how to execute our escape without a hitch. Everyone needs to be involved. Can we organize this meeting for tonight?" She asked Yolanda

"We can work something out, I'm sure. I'll do my best so that everyone is informed." Yolanda assured.

Sherry put the knife back in the block on the counter and turned away from the counter. "We don't have much time until Negan gets back from his run." She said in a final tone. She hoped that they had enough time to get out of Sanctuary before it was too late.

…

_They all sat in the main room of the mansion after a game of Apple to Apples and were conversing amongst each other with worn smiles on their faces. At first, the game began with Dwight, Sherry, and the kids but everyone decided to join in the fun. The more that people joined, Sherry and Dwight had to scoot closer together on the couch to make room for more seats. When the game was over, the adults all sat back in their chairs and started chatting about everything or fun memories that they used to do back in the day. It was a long time coming that they were able to sit and relax with almost no worries. The kids started the night practically bouncing off the walls but after their last game leaned against their parents almost half asleep._

"_One time we took Todd and Teresa on vacation before our other boys were born," Jason started as he beamed at the story. "We took them to Mount Rushmore. And just a week before that, Todd's class finished reading The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe." Jason stopped and looked to everyone just in case they didn't know what he was talking about. "You know, they made a movie about it. It's that movie with a…"_

"_The movie with a lion, a witch, and a wardrobe." Terri interrupted as her sons laughed at the story. Sherry started to giggle at Jason and Terri's banter with each other as everyone else joined in. "They know what you are talking about."_

"_Yeah, so that movie with the lion, the witch, and that wardrobe. Shit, I'm drunk. You know what I'm talking about." Jason said then tried to continue with his story. "That story scared the living shit out of…"_

"_Jason, the kids and that language don't mix." Terri scolded while interrupting again._

"_Sorry, but that story really did scare the living shit out of Todd." Jason started to say again as the room burst into laughter again. "The witch can turn people into stone if they don't do as she asked them to. I tell you when Todd saw our past presidents on that mountain, he just had the biggest meltdown where everyone just had to stop and stare at him. And he's just yelling that the witch turned them into stone. Man, we had it on video and everything. It was classic." He finished as he took another swig of his beer that they had found on one of their trips out to the closest town._

_Yolanda looked to Jenna by her side while they sat in a loveseat that was parallel from the larger sectional. Jenna was enjoying in the fun but started to get quieter as time went on. Yolanda looked to everyone sadly almost hoping that the night would never end. "My friends, I think we're going to bed. We had a long day." Yolanda said regretfully but guided Jenna towards the stairs. "We need to really do this again sometime soon. Good night!"_

"_Night!" Almost everyone said in reply while various people started getting up from the couch about ready to call it a night._

"_My wrist watch reads a little after midnight," Hannah announced then patted her legs. "It's time for me to rest. And I may sleep in tomorrow."_

"_You and everyone else." Dean replied as he walked down the hallway and waved towards everyone. "It's bedtime for me too. Good night."_

_Jason practically leaned against his wife for support as Teegan and Troy followed their parents to their bedroom upstairs. They waved to the rest of them in the living room as Sherry smiled at the family._

"_Well, what are we playing next?" Haruki asked as he looked to the bookcase that had a selection of card or board games. Sherry looked to the bookcase in the dim light of the candles flickering but then quickly noticed Takuya and Dwight quietly exchange a look while Takuya nodded in understanding._

"_I'm actually tired, Haruki." Takuya said as he eyed Dwight. "I'm also heading to bed."_

_Knowing how dependent Haruki was on Takuya, Haruki looked to Dwight and Sherry with apology. "I guess we'll play another night, okay?" Haruki suggested as Takuya stood up and circled around the couch to another hallway but fist bumped Dwight before leaving. Haruki followed without another word as Dwight and Sherry sat on the couch all by themselves. Sherry smiled to herself thinking that Dwight had a word with Takuya about finding a moment where he could be alone with her. Sherry had to admit that Takuya played a good wing man for Dwight as their plan had worked._

"_You tired?" Dwight asked her while trying to play it cool. Sherry debated telling him that she was just to see how he would react but she was more curious if he had anything planned for the rare alone time that they had within the mansion. They always went on supply runs together but having time together where they weren't worried about dying didn't come often. Sherry liked the calm that came with it._

"_I'm actually not." Sherry said playing into his game. "You?"_

"_Not in the least." Dwight confirmed as Sherry noticed how close they were sitting next to each other only to make room for the rest of their group. They didn't move from their spot even when they had plenty of room to spread out. Sherry could admit to herself that she felt very comfortable sitting beside Dwight. He looked down to her hand and appeared as if he was debating whether or not to reach for it. Sherry's heart raced at the thought but then she felt herself panic. _

_She liked Dwight. She liked him more than a friend. But the thought of him being taken away from her mentally blocked her from trying to pursue anything with him. Sherry knew it would have been too much if she lost him. Yet she sat there on the couch with him as their feet rested on the coffee table in front of them. If she could pause time, she would have done it then. It was the most comfortable that she had felt in a very long time._

_When she saw Dwight's pinky twitch while he almost made his move, she stood up quickly to get rid of the jitters she felt. She was almost upset at herself that she could kill walkers easily but confronting Dwight with him holding her hand was almost impossible and terrifying._

"_Do you… Um… How about… um…" Sherry could hear Dwight fumble over his words behind her as he got up from the couch and tried to think of a decent subject to talk about. Sherry looked to him as he immediately put his hands in his pockets and smiled at her awkwardly._

"_Do you like vinyl albums?" He finally asked her while looking at the bookcase. Sherry noticed that whoever lived in the mansion before was a lover of music but didn't really look through the albums upon albums that they had._

"_I actually never listened to anything much on vinyl." Sherry confessed while Dwight walked over to the bookcase and opened some of the cabinets up. Dwight whistled at the large TV with all the speakers that were hooked up to it but knelt down to find something. "What are you doing?" Sherry asked him as she sat beside him._

"_Well, if they had all these albums, you would think they have something to play it with, right?" Dwight asked and reached towards the back of the bottom shelf. He pulled out a couple of electronics or consoles that were hooked to the TV but then saw what he was looking for. "See?" He said while showing a phonograph to Sherry. "Told you. And we're in luck with this one."_

"_Why?" Sherry asked thinking that it was just some black box._

_Dwight looked around the case and nodded his approval. "Battery powered." He explained as he set it down and stood back up to look through all the albums. "Take your pick, ma'am. What's the first song that you would want to listen to since the world ended?" He asked._

_Sherry smiled as she thought that Dwight could have potentially set everything up. She did stand up and rise to the bait as she looked through the bookcases and pulled a Jim Croce album. She looked at the song list and smiled. "One of my dad's favorite songs was Operator. This album doesn't have it but they have a couple of other goodies anyways." She commented as she looked at the cover art._

_Dwight pulled several out and whistled. "They got some good classics in here." Dwight marveled as he looked at all his favorite albums. "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, Cosmo's Factory, Surrealistic Pillow, and Sweet Baby James…to name a few."_

"_You're a music man?" Sherry asked him curiously._

"_Yeah," Dwight said almost reverently. "My mom always had music playing in the background in our house." He looked at all the covers again and took a deep breath. "That was something that my brother and I couldn't really let go of. We kept that tradition going because silence wasn't really what sang to us."_

_Sherry looked to all the albums and knew that she could have her pick of which song she would like to listen to but realized how much more meaningful it would be to Dwight if he listened to a song that he grew up with. "What was your mom's favorite song?" She questioned while nudging his arm to insist that he chose._

"_You don't want to pick something?" He asked her back as Sherry shrugged indifference._

"_I'll pick the next one." Sherry offered but preferred not to relive memories that reminded her of the family she once had but was long gone. "Did your mom have a favorite song?" She asked again._

"_I think these albums are all in order… So let's see if they have it…" Dwight said as he fumbled through the massive collection. "Holy shit, they _do_ have it." He said in awe as he pulled it from the shelf. He looked at the back and then the front again as Sherry smiled upon knowing what it was. "This ended up being my favorite song especially after she died." Dwight confided quietly. "Just goes to show you how short life is and how fast it can change."_

"_Isn't that the truth." Sherry agreed as she sat down on the floor next to the phonograph. "You going to put it on or what? I don't know how to work one of these things."_

_Dwight knelt down beside her and opened up the black box. "My Grandpa John had one at his house and taught us how to play records." Dwight explained as he took the record out of the sleeve._

"_Is your brother named after him?" Sherry asked while recollecting that his brother had the same name._

_Dwight nodded while he fidgeting carefully with the contraption. "John Ephraim Orlich is a family name. My dad also had the same name but everyone called him Jack to differentiate at family reunions and such." Dwight reminisced as he put the needle on the record with a grin. "You ready for this?" He asked._

_Sherry nodded while picking up on his enthusiasm as he flipped the power button on. The record started playing as Sherry immediately heard the sound of an acoustic guitar picking gently away for a calming melody. Sherry looked to Dwight and beamed upon hearing the tune as Dwight did the same. Together they sat beside each other and listened to the words as it quietly echoed throughout the room._

"_Just yesterday morning they let me know you were gone,_

_Susanne the plans they made put an end to you_

_I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song_

_I just can't remember who to send it to…_

"_I've seen fire and I've seen rain,_

_I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end_

_I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend_

_But I always thought that I'd see you again."_

_Dwight watched Sherry from the corner of his eye but continued to stare at her when she would occasionally look up at him. She would look away quickly as if the moment didn't happen however he couldn't look away. The music kept playing as the chorus ended while Dwight stood up and held his hand out for Sherry to take._

_Sherry gave him a warning look as she peered at him skeptically. "Uh-oh, what's happening now?" She teased._

"_Just roll with it." Dwight said with an innocent smile. Sherry reached for his hand as he helped her to stand. It was like Dwight forgot how to talk to girls or interact with the opposite gender as he looked at Sherry's beautiful face. He awkwardly put a hand on the small of her back as he continued to hold her hand with the other._

_Sherry looked to be deep in thought as if contemplating whether to tell him to take a hike or to enjoy herself. Just as Dwight almost let go of her hand in defeat, Sherry rested her palm on top of his shoulder as she scooted a little closer. Dwight pretended to not act too excited so he didn't scare her away and then started moving a little to the music in little not-so-showy sways. Sherry followed his lead as he held on tightly to her middle while he realized that was the closest that he had really been to her. There was that moment where she accidentally fell asleep on his shoulder in the car. And the time where he carried her towards camp after she got shot. As they moved back and forth to the music, he understood how drastically separate those moments were in contrast._

"_Can you handle a dip?" Dwight joked with her as he twisted her out while she smoothly delivered the move and tried to keep a straight face. Dwight reeled her back in and dipped her for good measure as she started to snicker at how probably cheesy or out of place it felt to have a decent memory in the midst of such a dangerous time. He brought her back up but twisted one more time so her back was to his chest. He placed his other hand on her hip as she surprisingly put a hand over his._

"_You really _do_ have the moves." Sherry complimented._

"_Well, you take a social dance class for one semester to meet girls…" Dwight divulged. "The information sticks because it worked so well."_

_Sherry smiled at his response as he took the opportunity to place both of his hands on her hips as they still swayed slowly to the music. He leaned down to smell her hair as he could detect the scent of warm vanilla mixed with some kind of flower. He breathed in through his nose while enjoying the moment that she had allowed him to have with her._

_He turned her to face him as she put both hands behind his neck and clasped them together. He continued to hold her hips as he lowered his head but stopped himself so he wouldn't be too caught up in the moment. He didn't want to scare her off while trying to kiss her. Dwight knew it was the right time but wasn't sure if Sherry would appreciate the bold move. At best, she was entertaining or humoring him. Or perhaps that was the impression that she wanted to give him. He always got mixed signals from her. But then he realized that she possibly was holding back. He surmised that it was for a good reason as they had all lost people close to them. Dwight had thought about losing Sherry. It hurt to mentally plan for such a terrible day such as that._

"_Sher," Dwight started as her shortened name just became a habit for him to say when he wanted her attention._

"_Yeah?" Sherry asked then looked up to him with eyes that seemed to glisten. The way that she looked at him made him want to kiss her even more. That was one of the mixed signals that he had thought about before. The way that she looked at him made him feel special; as if he was more than just her friend. _

"_I just wanted to say that you…" Dwight started quietly but her look made him stop. Sherry looked to be on the edge of taking the leap with him as she leaned her head towards him but made herself freeze as she thought of something that made her sad. It would have been a great time to kiss her. Even as he thought of that moment, he lowered his head to be closer to hers. She remained frozen in time but looked at him expectantly as that would quickly be masked by pain. If it was the right moment to kiss her, Dwight knew she wasn't ready and he wasn't the kind of person to play around. Especially with Sherry as she deserved someone who respected her in every way._

_He brought his head back up and loosened his hold on her. "I just wanted to say that you look really nice tonight." Dwight recovered and gave her a grin._

_Sherry looked both relieved and disappointed. Her reaction made Dwight hopeful that she would be ready to talk about their relationship's next step. Even though he was ready to talk about it that night, she needed more time. He was more than willing to give it to her. He just hoped that time wouldn't run out prematurely._

…

_They were at the mansion for two wonderful months with very few cares. Dwight and Sherry went on more supply runs for the group and lucked out with what they found. Dwight and Jason also hunted which always lifted the spirits of everyone in the group. They never went hungry for that entire duration. The children had fun running around the many acres of enclosed space that the mansion's property provided. Terri had time to mourn her two children. Haruki also proved to be valuable with his fishing skills when they noticed that the pond had a plethora of fish. Everyone got along well. With a never ending supply of board games at the house, they was never a dull moment._

_Every time that Sherry and Dwight went on a run, they tried to bring back a new car with them. They wanted to believe that they could stay at the mansion forever but knew that preparing for the worst was never a bad thing as they fixed the cars and loaded them all with supplies on the go. They went over escape plans for their group to follow if things went south fast and a place to meet if they got separated._

_Dwight didn't press Sherry on romantic matters until she brought it up herself. Until that day came, he consistently remained at her side in decisions that she made or if she needed anyone to talk to. She didn't usually come to him for personal matters but he kept the door open regardless._

_The mansion was a paradise for two long months. Until one fateful day where everything changed._

"_HELP! Somebody help me!" They heard someone call near the gate while they all ate breakfast outside on the patio. They all stared in the direction that the shouting came from and saw a man tugging at the front entrance gate even though it was locked by a heavy chain._

_Sherry stood up sharply and looked to everyone else. "Yolanda, Hannah… Get the kids in the car," She instructed. "We are going to follow our drill like it's the real deal, okay?"_

_The children got up from their chairs and ran to their designated car which was the large van. Terri went into the house to get her medical supplies just in case they were needed as the rest of them dashed to the shed behind the mansion for some extra weapons. _

"_PLEASE HELP ME!" A man continued to yell while they jogged towards the gate as fast as they could. They kept the gate locked for a reason. It wasn't because they didn't want to accept new strangers. Sherry just didn't want the wrong stranger in their paradise. Terri met up with them on their run as they all could see what laid ahead of them. A herd unlike any that Sherry had ever seen was headed their way. It was in the hundreds. Too many to make her feel comfortable about the situation that befell them._

"_Holy shit!" Jason exclaimed as he loaded his assault rifle in mid-stride._

_The man saw them running towards him and became hysterical. "Oh, thank God! Please help me! Please!" The walkers were fifty yards away from him by the time her group reached the gate._

"_Trying to get all the biters in here too?!" Dwight asked in a biting tone. It almost took Sherry aback with how fired up he sounded. She never heard him that angry before._

_Haruki started fidgeting with the lock. Once the lock was undone, they had to unwrap the chain in between the two gate doors. Sherry assisted Haruki as they quickly worked to get an opening for the man. The walkers were thirty yards away._

_The chain was lengthy and maybe a bit too excessive than what they needed. Sherry was glad that they were thorough when they first put it up but became upset that it was taking so long to unravel in a moment where time was of the essence. The walkers were twenty yards away._

"_Please, hurry!" The man screamed. Jason growled and raised his gun as the man screamed in terror. However, Jason fired the gun not towards the man but at the walkers instead. Dwight also raised his crossbow and started discharging bolts as fast as he could load them. The rest followed suit as Haruki and Sherry worked tirelessly to make an opening for the man to enter through._

_There was a small opening as the man took the opportunity to squeeze his way through to safe ground. The chain quickly tightened around the gate from the man's force which made it difficult to unwrap the chain to let him inside. _

"_Dammit!" Sherry yelled at him. "Hold still!"_

"_I just need to get in there!" The man stressed frantically. Several walkers were coming his direction as there was only a few feet left between him and the walkers. Dwight threw his crossbow down furiously and held his gun up as it made it easier to load bullets than single bolts._

"_Sherry…" Dwight said steadily and with warning._

"_I know! I'm trying!" Sherry yelled back. She looked towards the man just in time as he started yelling in agony and saw that a walker had ripped into his shoulder with his teeth. She then looked at the gate as the walkers pushed against it mercilessly. The man was clinging for dear life and reached for Sherry desperately._

"_Fuck!" Sherry said with hot, angry tears in her eyes as she took her gun out and shot the man in the head. He slumped down as the countless walkers began to feast on his body. They all looked towards her with shock as she tried to get the chain back on the fence without getting bit by the walkers close by. They then continued to shoot at the walkers who were standing in her way but the biters still pushed on the gate while the opening got wider and wider. "No!" Sherry yelled in defeat._

"_Fall back!" Dwight ordered as he picked up his crossbow. "This isn't a drill anymore, we need to get the fuck out of here!"_

"_No! We can still try and defend it!" Sherry cried but already knew that it was pointless._

_Dwight didn't try and argue with her but grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the gate. It didn't take the walkers long to push the gate wide open and were right behind Dwight and Sherry. They ran speedily towards the cars with all of their belongings that they felt an attachment to already packed. It proved to be a good idea because they found themselves unable to go inside and retrieve other things of importance. Dwight guided her towards the Jeep that was front of all the cars and put the shocked Sherry in the passenger seat as he rounded the car to get in the driver's side as he quickly grabbed the keys on the dashboard and turned on the ignition._

_All the cars started driving away while the walkers descended upon the mansion and their vehicles. Dwight turned right onto the grass as the walkers followed their line of cars. Dwight continued to shepherd the walkers slightly so they weren't blocking the entrance anymore so they could finally escape. When all the walkers were within the gates, Dwight drove towards their exit and then ran over what was left of the man that ultimately brought the biters upon them._

_Sherry turned around in her seat and saw all of the cars still behind them as they made it out safely. She then looked at the mansion for one last time and sighed at their lost utopia. Losing their previous lives was hard. Sherry was thinking that losing a place that was supposed to give security from an already unstable world was worse._

_Without warning, Dwight hit the steering wheel and made Sherry jump. "Fuck!" He shouted bitterly. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"_

_Sherry got a little teary eyed as she thought of everything that they just lost. Their shelter had utterly vanished. They didn't have to watch their backs while they skinned their game. They could eat on the patio without worrying for their lives. They forgot what it felt like to feel vulnerable in their hell hole. For once, it felt like what life was before._

_She didn't know what to say to Dwight who was still fuming. Rather than try and give him words of comfort, she put her hand on his shoulder gently. Words tried to escape her mouth but couldn't leave past the lump forming in her throat. Tears erupted beyond her control as she silently wept for their home being gone. Dwight didn't say anything but replied back by placing one of his hands on top of hers. He stroked the top of her hand with his thumb and continued to look at the road. She knew that he didn't want to show much emotion but could tell that he was just as beaten up about their current predicament as she was._

_Every car had a full tank so Dwight led the way north for as far as they could all go. None of them had a destination in mind. All of them just wanted to get away from the mansion and forget their happy memories that were ripped away._

"_Was it hard?" Dwight asked after a couple of hours of shared silence between them._

_She looked to him confused. "Hm?"_

"_When you killed that guy that ruined it all for us?" Dwight asked coldly while he thought of that same person._

_Sherry thought about it but knew out of all the people in her group, Dwight would understand the most. "The truth?" She started in a husky voice that was still filled with the emotion of the day. "It wasn't a difficult decision at all. I mean, sure it was a mercy kill. He was already bit. But I could already see the walkers push their weight on the gate. I just had this sinking feeling even before we arrived at the gate that we wouldn't be going back to the house." Sherry's voice broke as she relayed the information to Dwight. "I was angry with him. He was unknowingly jeopardizing everything that we made. I was more than happy to take care of him. I don't feel anything. I don't have guilt. And yet, it was the reason that bothers me. There was nothing that Terri could have done for him at that point. It still wasn't out of mercy. It was out of resentment."_

_Dwight twiddled his thumbs that rested on the steering wheel, deep in thought. "I get it. Some part of me wants to see reason and I know the guy wasn't purposefully trying to take away our place. He was probably scared for his life. But my reasoning doesn't let me see past him being stupid and he made a move that ended his life." Dwight said with a melancholy tone._

_Sherry was starting to get a headache from thinking too much about it. The more she thought about it, the more complicated it felt. She still couldn't fully comprehend how great of a loss that it was to lose the mansion. When she thought about it, she only felt bitter devastation._

"_Are you okay driving for a little bit longer?" She asked Dwight._

_He nodded. "Getting tired?" He questioned._

"_Yeah. I just want to get my mind off of everything for a bit." She confessed._

"_Take your time, Sher." He said as he gave her a weak smile but looked into her eyes. "If you need anything, let me know."_

_She gave him an even weaker smile back. "Thanks, Dwight." She said and pushed the seat down and fell asleep sooner than she thought she would have. Her mom always told her that a good rest soon came a clear mind. She didn't doubt that and knew she needed it. She just hoped that she received it when she woke up._

…

They walked over to Yolanda's home that she shared with Dwight, Dean, and Jenna. Everyone was told about the meeting. Sherry continued to look around Sanctuary to see if their meeting raised suspicion but it seemed the men with guns would be more concerned if they were escaping. To them it only appeared as if they were having a fun gathering that they weren't invited to.

Yolanda and Sherry stepped into the house where everyone already was present. Terri saw Sherry and immediately came to give her a tight hug. Yolanda went to draw the curtains in the living room as Jenna helped. Dean gave Sherry a warm embrace followed by Jason's bear hug. Teegan and Troy immediately followed their dad's example and all but tackled Sherry. They had only been to Sanctuary for two weeks. Sherry thought about the timeline and felt puzzled. Had they really only been there for that short amount of time?

The last hug went to Dwight who gave her a much more affectionate touch and a kiss on her lips. They were among friends with the curtains obscuring them from the rest of Sanctuary. They had nothing to hide there. Dwight held her hand as they walked to the couch while everyone talked amongst themselves in short discussions before they started the meeting.

Sherry just watched everyone enjoying each other's company. It almost seemed natural for their group to adjust to terrible circumstances. Sherry wondered how they were all being treated. She hoped that they were being looked upon with some respect and that Negan didn't go against his word. He promised her that they wouldn't be mistreated as long as they followed his rules.

Dwight put his arm over her shoulder as Sherry leaned into him. Out of all the people in their group, they looked the most exhausted. Emotionally and physically, Sherry didn't know how they could handle another day. She looked forward to what they were going to speak about in the meeting so they could finally gain some progress.

Dwight smiled at her and cleared his throat. "Alright, you guys," he started as everyone quieted down. Yolanda told the kids to go upstairs and play as they didn't have to be asked twice. "This meeting is to go over things that we need in order to escape so once that day comes, it will be fool proof."

Jason raised his voice. "And when do you expect that day will come?' He questioned.

"Before Negan gets back from wherever he is." Dwight confirmed.

Everyone looked around in surprise. They knew the plan was underway but they didn't know that they were all leaving so soon.

"First thing's first," Sherry said while leaning forward on the couch. "Does anyone have access to a wire cutter?"

Dean stood up. "Negan has me in charge of doing inventory for the supply building. They have an assortment of wire cutters. They won't even know one is missing. Besides, no one is going to double check my work until Negan gets back anyways. Besides guarding the border, no one really does their job while he's gone." Dean explained as a matter-of-factly.

"We'll leave at nighttime and use that to our advantage." Sherry stated. "We need to take out the guards from the buildings next to the schoolhouse. Does anyone know how many men are on those roods at that time?"

"One for each building at night." Takuya spoke up. "Lucky for us, we only have to worry about one building."

"Why's that?" Sherry asked.

"I'm in charge of the building left to the schoolhouse." Takuya said with a grin.

"Who's in charge of the other building?" She then inquired.

"Alex," Dwight said as he made a face of distaste. "He'll be easy to take care of."

"Dean, there is a building next to the court house that is completely empty. Do you know what I'm talking about?" Sherry asked and turned her attention to him. Dean nodded as Sherry continued. "The room that is on the second floor. In the furthest corner from the entrance, there is a floor board that you can use to stash things underneath it. Whatever can be useful to defend ourselves once we are out of sight, we'll need it. Whatever you collect, put it there."

"I can get my medical bag without anyone questioning it," Terri added. "It might take us awhile to accumulate all that we need for our trip but we can find what we need to get back on the road."

Sherry nodded in approval. "The important thing is weapons for our first night. We'll be running for most of that time." She made clear.

Haruki shook his head as he stood against the wall beside the couch. "I still don't know why we need to leave so soon." He complained.

"Haruki…" Takuya scolded.

"It's not that bad here." Haruki defended.

Dwight leaned forward and covered his mouth deep in thought. Sherry knew he only put a hand over his mouth when trying to think of something to say or when he was going to lash out. That time she knew by his tense shoulders that he wanted to explode. When the outbreak first began, he was thoughtful towards the people around him in his group. That Dwight was slowly slipping away to someone who wanted things a certain way to benefit everyone. Usually, no one stood in his way. They didn't have a reason to fight Dwight's tactics. However, Haruki was pushing his buttons.

"What the fuck, man?" Dwight challenged while staring Haruki down. "It's not that bad here? We've already been over this. What has changed your mind since the last meeting?"

Haruki shrugged a response. "I am valuable here. Negan has me in charge of some things." He said quietly.

"Like what kind of things?" Sherry pressed. "Don't be vague on us."

Haruki shuffled his feet as he looked down to the floor. "It isn't your business." He said snidely.

"Son of a bitch, Haruki." Jason quietly said while shaking his head knowing that he said the wrong answer.

Dwight stood up and walked over to Haruki. He towered over Haruki's short height as Haruki fidgeted in place. "So help me. If you cause us any trouble, I will fucking kill you." Dwight muttered in a low voice as Sherry got up from the couch to stand in between the two of them. Takuya also came to Haruki's defense and stood next to him but didn't stand in Dwight's way.

"Dwight," Sherry said cautiously like trying to talk him off a cliff.

Dwight looked to her then back to Haruki with disbelief. He pointed towards Sherry's face for Haruki to notice her. "Look at her! It's not that bad, huh?" Dwight said with gritted teeth. He didn't have a lot of patience for Haruki before he killed a man for the first time. She had never seen Dwight that stirred up before and it frightened her. "You were there yesterday! You saw what Negan made me do."

Haruki stood unfazed at the scene in front of him. "I saw what you did. Not what Negan made you do." He said in an even tone.

Dwight held his lips in a tight line and walked several feet away. When he turned back around, Sherry was almost convinced that he was going to hit Haruki across the face. "I don't want him at these meetings anymore. Anyone else agree?" He inquired sternly.

Everyone stood there silently and looked at Dwight then Haruki. "He's out," Jason said. "I speak for my family. He's out." Terri gave Jason a smile that everyone could interpret as agreement.

They all slowly nodded their consent to Dwight's request. Dwight only looked to Takuya who stood silently in the middle of the room. Even though Haruki and Takuya were not related, they were good friends before the apocalypse even began. Dwight and the rest of the group could say what they would about Haruki but they all knew that it was Takuya's call.

Takuya finally spoke up after pondering what to say. "If you don't mind, Dwight. I would like to personally escort him out of the house." He declared. Jason started giving Takuya the slow clap as he indeed saw to it that Haruki left. But when nobody followed his lead, Jason stopped and realized that a slow clap just wasn't the time and place.

Dwight walked over to Haruki as they stood by the doorway. "You will say nothing to anyone. Not Negan or his men. If you have such a nice job with the son of a bitch, you don't have to worry about saving your own ass." He said as he shoved Haruki out of the house and slammed the door in his face.

Dwight slowly shuffled back into the living room. All eyes were on him as he again put his hand over his mouth and looked at the floor beneath him.

"How about a break and we'll talk again in thirty minutes?" Sherry suggested. "Everyone needs to take a breather. We have a lot to talk about." With that, Sherry took Dwight's hand as they walked upstairs. She looked at the bedrooms and concluded which one was Dwight's as it had his crossbow inside. She led him in the room and closed the door behind them.

Dwight was panting heavily as he tried to contain himself. Sherry leaned against the door and looked at him with concern. "Dwight…" Sherry started.

He shook his head as he sat on his bed with his hands in his pockets. "Jesus… He's driving me up the fucking wall," Dwight muttered angrily and cursed again under his breath. "I'm sorry… It's just that I really can't justify you being here anymore and seeing someone else that can…"

Sherry watched Dwight as he tried to regain some composure and sat down next to him. She gently put a hand on his shoulder and tried to get him to look at her as she brought her palm to his cheek. She turned his head and looked him in the eyes. Instantaneously, she could see the irritable mood vanish as he stared at her with affection. She kissed him on the lips tenderly as he returned the affection with more zeal than she expected him to. He immediately wrapped his arms around her back and locked lips with her fervently.

The kiss escalated at a fast pace that Sherry had to break away and look at him in question. It was probably him unloading the last several days of terrible events into something that gave him substantial happiness. Sherry didn't mind at all. She could admit that she also needed some form of escape. Their relationship was new and felt partially dangerous. There was a level of excitement to it. When she looked to him to try and get a feel for what was going on in his mind, he just closed the gap between them once more and pushed her to lay down on his bed as he settled himself on top of her. They continued to kiss each other as his hand held just below her waist as his fingers grazed her backside.

It was an escape that made it easy to forget why they had to be so secretive all the time. It was a perfect distraction from the chaos that surrounded them. She needed to be with him and vice versa. It was the _only _thing that made sense amongst the confusion and the gray areas that was Sanctuary.

They made sure to stay quiet since the kids were playing across the hallway. Sherry knew their thirty minute break was coming to a close as she slowed her kiss but held the back of his neck with a sense of longing. Dwight kissed the side of her face one more time as he sat up on the bed and took a deep breath. Sherry got up after him and then onto her feet as she looked to Dwight with almost a sadness that they had to stop what they were doing. "We should fix ourselves up before we go back down there," Sherry suggested almost playfully. "We don't want to make it too obvious what we just did."

He crossed his legs and breathed a little bit more. "Yeah, just give me a minute before I stand up again," Dwight said knowingly. "Don't want to be too obvious."

Sherry winked in his direction and saw the small mirror on top of his dresser. She looked at herself and pursed her lips together and was glad that she wasn't wearing lipstick. Otherwise it would have been a dead giveaway. She glanced back at him as he winked back at her effortlessly. She knew she was in the swoon phase of their relationship but that hit her hard. "Oh, goodness," Sherry teased and walked towards the door. "Ready yet?"

Dwight stood up and looked down at his pants that was quickly followed with a nod. "Yeah, I'm good," he joked back as she rolled her eyes. They both headed back downstairs as Dwight reached for her hand and gently squeezed before he let go once more. They still had important matters to talk about with their group. Luckily, it seemed like they were all finally on the same page.

…

They all sat in the living room and had all gone over everything they needed to do so when the day came, they were ready. They all mutually agreed that they would leave in two days' time.

"Everyone knows what their job is?" Dwight asked as he glanced towards everyone. They all nodded silently. Even the children were invited to the last part of the meeting and nodded that they knew what their roles were in the escape. They needed each person in the group to take part in a job in order for their plan to go flawlessly.

_This is it, _Sherry thought with a smile. _We are finally leaving._


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Jason and Dwight stood watch near the front gate on top of the supply building. They were the only ones on duty on the roof as Hansen slept in. Dwight didn't mind as it gave them better opportunity to be covert without the scrutiny of a Savior close by. Alex used to work on that roof with them but was assigned to a different location when word hit that Dwight had shot him in the leg with a bolt. He was instead moved to the nightshift next to the schoolhouse. Which would ultimately prove to be further convenient to them in their escape.

Dwight may not have been proud of shooting Alex in the leg but he didn't regret it. He saw him as a prick that needed to be shut up. He didn't trust him either. Anytime any women in Sanctuary passed Alex, he couldn't help but have his eyes wander all over them. And that made Dwight uneasy.

He was told that it was a rule to not rape among the Saviors but he didn't believe that the people within the confines actually adhered to it. He was still skeptical of Negan's distaste for it by the way he looked and treated Sherry. Sherry still denied that he laid a hand on her. He wanted to believe her but he didn't know if he could.

"Deep in thought?" Jason asked as he stood beside him.

Dwight shrugged in reply. "Just thinking if what we are doing is really going to work."

Jason didn't respond immediately and instead looked at Sanctuary along with Dwight. The view of Sanctuary wasn't bad. In fact, it was beautiful in comparison to the things outside of the gate. Dwight wished that Sanctuary didn't have to be a place where bad things happened; where people weren't threatened to stay put.

"It will," Jason said confidently. "It has to." He looked down below and saw Dean and Takuya enter the supply room. "So it begins."

They had already discussed who is collecting what for their trip out of Sanctuary. Dean and Takuya were to collect as many weapons without it looking too conspicuous and also the wire cutter for the fence. The plan was setting in motion. Jason and Dwight looked around to see if any Saviors noticed them enter the supply building but no one paid attention to them or cared. It made Dwight a little more hopeful.

"I regret going against you when we were first discussing our escape." Jason admitted out of the blue.

Dwight glanced towards him but then looked back down below. "You're a dad. I get it." Dwight responded nonchalantly.

Jason exhaled in defeat. Dwight hoped that he would think his apology was enough and that he wouldn't be ashamed of past choices. Dwight didn't intend to hold any grudges against him. Jason cleared his throat and spoke up again. "Before this all happened, did you ever have any kids?" He inquired.

Dwight shook his head in reply. "No," he said. "But I get it. If I knew Sherry was safe here, I would probably justify staying. No matter what Negan wants me to do."

Jason nodded. "That protective feeling gets worse when you bring kids in the mix. I look at Sanctuary and my boys are attending _school_ here. They have a house. Terri and I have something to occupy our time with other than survival. It's the closest thing that we have had to a normal life since this thing happened," he stopped and looked up to Sanctuary again. "But I have wondered since we talked about escape what my boys will be like five years down the road. Sure, maybe they will follow their old man and have a good sense of judgment and morality but there is always that 'what if.' What if they think killing innocent people is the norm to stay alive now? Like most of the men here think.

"And Negan," Jason continued heavily. "The other day my boys told me that Negan came to their school and told them about fighting. They came home and had dinner. But they wouldn't shut up about all the things that they learned from him. Like he was someone to be admired. And that bothered me. Rather, it infuriated me." Jason reached into his pocket and grabbed a cigarette and lighter. "I don't want my boys to learn anything from that motherfucker."

Dwight nodded his head in understanding. "I think I burned some bridges with Hilltop ever taking us in. They know your face too. And if Negan saw us there, he might kill whoever gave us help to be there. But if there are two places that we have already seen, there has to be more. We'll find our new home soon enough, man."

Jason lit his cigarette and put the lighter back in his pocket. "We will. I'm not going to even tell myself otherwise."

Dwight patted Jason's shoulder and started walking towards the stairs. "Can you keep in eye and alert us if anyone else comes in the supply room? Just stomp on the roof really loud, k?" Jason agreed with a nod and Dwight went down the flight of stairs.

…

"How many of these handguns do you think I can stash in my coat?" Takuya asked while staring into an entire bin of guns galore.

Dwight sized his coat from where he was. "Your coat is long enough that you can put a bunch of handguns around your belt. Try that." Dwight suggested.

Takuya smiled slightly with nervousness and excitement. It was almost odd to see Takuya without Haruki but it seemed that they were drifting apart more every day since they lived here. Dwight had seen a bond between the two that was almost unmatched before Sanctuary. That bond was all but severed since their meeting.

"How are you doing, Takuya?" Dwight thought to ask.

Takuya shrugged. "I have had better days," he admitted. "It just sucks, ya know? Haruki and I have been friends since we were boys. We came to college together because our English was decent but we didn't want to go through it all alone. And now look where we are." Takuya kept stuffing guns under his belt but always checking each gun to see if it was loaded. "It's like all of those years didn't mean anything."

Dwight looked around in thought. "It's the way he is coping with things. When people go in survival mode, they change. Maybe he feels that he can fair better with Negan than he can with us."

"I want to urge him to come with us." Takuya revealed. "Negan said that without Sherry in Sanctuary that we would all be killed. Do you really think that Negan would spare his life once we left?"

"Negan might or might not. He's unpredictable and he doesn't always like to keep to his word," Dwight said while offering his two cents. "But Negan always likes bloodshed…and will choose that over anything else."

Takuya nodded several times to let that thought sink in his mind. Dwight patted him on the shoulder for reassurance as he kept to his task. He didn't want to say it but knew that he needed to hear it.

Dwight started walking towards Dean to see how he was doing but thought to add one more thought before he left. "I advise you to not say anything to Haruki about when we are leaving. Clearly, he is now more loyal to Negan so it might be a threat to our leaving here. If we give him too much information, it could make us vulnerable." Dwight said without looking at Takuya. "I'm sorry."

He walked away to leave Takuya with his thoughts and saw Dean with a wire cutter in his pocket. "I see you got the important thing for our trip out of here." Dwight commented.

Dean held it up and waved it in the air. "This little thing? I was happy to help and it was no trouble."

Dwight smiled. "Excited to get out of here?"

"I never trusted him after what he did to Hannah. He could be as chummy as he wants with us and pretend it didn't happen but I will always remember it." Dean said unwaveringly.

"I'm sorry what happened to her, Dean. She was a great woman and helped out a lot in our group." Dwight said sadly.

Dean looked down and grief took over. Dwight didn't think he really had time to mourn Hannah yet. He knew that they got close to each other but he didn't know of the extent nor did he care to ask. He did know that this world left little time to mourn and the process took a very long time as he still felt sadness and grief for his own brother. He had time to mourn the loss of his parents when they passed but they were always busy with surviving now. The mourning period of his brother would come when he least expected it. He felt this was happening to Dean now.

"I was on a motorcycle road trip for my retirement when the world went away. My wife was miles away in California. I still have no idea if she lived or not. I like to think that she is still out there but something inside tells me that she passed with my sons nearby. I just feel that she died quickly. I feel bitter that I wasn't there to be with her throughout all of this but how were we supposed to know? Hannah filled that void. I wish I could have done more to protect her. I felt so helpless."

Dean looked up to Dwight. "Son. You are young and still have a good life ahead of you. I believe that you will live through all of this shit. Make sure that you never feel helpless like I did. Protect her. Have her protect you when you need it."

Dwight could only assume he was talking about Sherry. In his current situation, he did feel helpless. And angry. If anyone were to leave this place, he wanted it to be Sherry. She deserved more than this. He didn't know if he were the one to offer her more but he would try.

Dwight smiled at Dean for his advice. "Thanks, Dean. I will do my best."

"Yes, you will." Dean remarked lightheartedly and went to help Takuya with gun stashing. They had about twelve guns combined between the two of them by the time they were finished and put as much ammo in their pockets as they could. Dwight did the same with his pockets. They had more than enough guns for everyone. Things were going well.

"Alright guys. We should probably get out of here. Go to Sherry's stash spot and dump all of these there." Dwight said. They went over what the order of protocol was but he thought it a good idea to remind them. "Go straight there and nowhere else." Dwight added.

They nodded. Dwight walked out first and went back to the roof to join Jason. Jason waved once he reached the roof and was glad that their looting went unnoticed. Dwight noticed Takuya and Dean waited five minutes after he left. Silently acknowledging their good logic in waiting he stood next to Jason and looked towards the outside world over the growling gates.

"Almost there." Jason said quietly.

Dwight nodded and smiled. "Almost there." He repeated.

…

_Sherry was beginning to wake from her nap in the car as she could feel the steady movement of the car. She felt something on over her hand that rested atop her leg. She then perceived that it was Dwight as his fingers were interwoven with hers. She didn't know what to think of it but then presumed that he probably needed the comfort that she did from their home being taken away. She didn't try to remove her hand from his. She needed it as much as he did._

_After several hours, she drove some of the way and let him rest. They stayed off main highways and continued on less traveled country roads. She found an iPod at the mansion that she decided to keep for herself as it also had classic songs that were displayed in the house's family room. It had many classic songs of the likes of Simon &amp; Garfunkel and Bob Dylan and created a great distraction for her as she continued to drive with no destination in mind._

_Another hour passed of driving when a song started playing with simple piano keys. Sherry knew what song it was within the first second and skipped it without a minute's hesitation. Yet it still tugged at her heartstrings and threatened to destroy her on an already sour day. A sudden sob escaped as Sherry tried not to think of the song but it sent an immediate flashback of sitting in the living room in her Chicago home as her parents danced along to it with love and tenderness. The song that played for a brief moment was Sherry's parents wedding song._

_Sherry quickly tried to shake off the emotion as she saw Dwight react to the abrupt song skipping while another tune began to fill the space. He glanced at Sherry but did a double take when he saw that she had a tear in her eye. She wiped it away and pretended that nothing happened. "You okay?" He still asked._

"_Yeah, I'm fine," Sherry answered unconvincingly and tried not to engage in more conversation. She was in a bad mood and was feeling bitter for everything that had happened to her in the last couple of months. It wasn't Dwight's fault and knew that she should treat him with more kindness than she currently was. However, she thought it best if she avoided talking in general so not to hurt anyone's feelings._

_Dwight sat up straight in the passenger seat then focused his eyes to adjust to the sunlight. He looked behind them to see the other cars still trudging along. "Do you know where we are?" He asked._

_Sherry's reply was delayed as she was still trapped in her subconscious with memories of her parents flooding to the brim and refusing to let anything else in. She processed Dwight's question and shrugged slightly. "No," she responded a little on the cold side._

_Dwight didn't say anything else and instead just looked at the road ahead of him. More time passed and more songs played. Most of the songs Dwight and Sherry knew but they didn't respond to any of them. That was until a Beatles song finally emerged from the playlist's shuffle options. Sherry felt tempted to skip it because of its upbeat tune until she saw Dwight subtly bobbing his head to the beat. As much as she didn't want to listen to something so cheerful, she overall didn't want to rain on Dwight's parade._

"_Oh, yeah, I'll…tell you something… I think you'll understand… When I…say that something… I want to hold your hand… I want to hold your hand… I want to hold your hand…" Dwight quietly sang along with it while looking out his side window. "Oh please… say to me… You'll let me be your man… And please…say to me… You'll let me hold your hand… Now let me hold your hand… I want to hold your hand..."_

_Sherry couldn't help but smile in spite of herself. She didn't skip the song even though her annoyance was almost to a breaking point. He was a decent singer but was also ruining her wanted solitude and pity party. She decided to annoy him back and turned the volume down._

_She thought perhaps that he would have to sing quieter than he was before but instead he nearly bust the next lyrics out. The unnerving part was that he avoided staring out the window and looked at her instead. "And when I touch you I feel happy…inside… It's such a feeling that, my love…I can't hide…I can't hide… I can't hide!" He all but sang in her ear. She jokingly shoved him away from her as he then turned up the volume even louder than it had ever been._

_She tried to change the volume to a lower setting but Dwight but his hand over the stereo system to shield it from her. "Nope!" He exclaimed. "You can turn it down after you sing the rest of the song."_

"_I don't know this song," Sherry lied as he bit the inside of her mouth._

"_Bullshit," Dwight said as he called her bluff. "Everyone knows this song."_

_She sat in silence as a sign of refusal. Sherry wouldn't rise to his bait._

_He grabbed the iPod on her lap and pushed the replay song. She rolled her eyes as the intro played again. She wouldn't break and just continued to drive and attempted to ignore him._

_Dwight then started singing the song again but then clapped to the music as well. Sherry tried her hardest not to laugh at him or join in the fun but he being more obnoxious than she had ever seen him was getting the better of her._

_Once the first verse finished, he paused the song and nodded to her as if it was her turn to take the stage. "Don't be shy, Sherilyn," he egged._

_Sherry rolled her eyes again and sighed. Then she gazed at him with resignation very evident followed by a small smile. He grinned in return and then resumed the song._

"_Oh, please…say to me…" Sherry started. "You'll let me be your man…girl…" She couldn't help but fix the lyrics for her gender. "And please…say to me… You'll let me hold your hand… Now let me hold your hand… I want to hold your hand."_

_They sang the rest of the song together. Some parts Dwight would stop singing abruptly and look to Sherry expectantly so she could have her solo once more. She did it to appease him but admittedly enjoyed him trying to make her happy once more. It was working very well. _

_The song ended while another one played immediately after. Dwight turned down the volume as he promised that he would and then put the iPod down. "You have a very nice voice," he complimented._

"_Thanks," Sherry replied. "You don't need to lie to me though."_

"_I'm not," Dwight said with honesty in his voice._

_Her face reddened as she stared at the empty road. "You sound really good though."_

_Dwight shrugged. "Well, you confessed to me your ballet past before so I'll let you know that my mom forced me to be a choir boy until I graduated high school." Dwight said and looked to Sherry with a smirk._

_Sherry smiled while trying to think of him in a choir. "Don't act like you didn't love it," Sherry joked. "I'm sure all of the high school girls fawned over you with your serenading tunes."_

_Dwight snorted at what she said while rolling his eyes. "You make it sound like I was a ladies man in high school."_

"_Weren't you?" She inquired._

_His smile waned as he thought about it. "Yeah, I didn't even have a girlfriend until my sophomore year in college. Dating a girl, let along, talking to a girl made me more nervous than anything else."_

"_What did you do for prom?" Sherry asked with curiosity._

_Dwight shrugged. "I didn't go. I didn't care to go. It seemed like a rite of passage that every boy needed to partake in but it just wasn't for me." He explained but Sherry could tell that he wasn't telling the whole story._

"_Dare I ask what you did instead?" She quizzed._

_Dwight's face got a little red as he looked out of the opposite window. "Um, a couple of my friends and I played Dungeons and Dragons at my house. All night." He confessed._

_Sherry sat in silence for a moment but couldn't think of anything else to say. "Wow," she stammered._

"_Yeah, Laugh it up if you want," Dwight said knowing the story had some humor to it. "It's kind of funny."_

_They sat and listened to the music but after a couple of songs came and went, Dwight spoke up. "It sucks that we lost our place," he said quietly._

"_Yeah, it does," Sherry said as she took a deep breath. "I don't want to talk about it."_

_Dwight didn't say anything else but offered a defeated smile. She returned the look and continued to drive as it quickly changed the mood to be dismal once more._

_The van ran out of gas first. They had extra gas tanks and decided to see if they could find a place that was their new resting ground. When nothing looked promising, they filled the van back up and drove again. They would periodically scout nearby towns but had no luck. When it was starting to get dark, they parked their cars and decided to sleep inside of them until the sun rose back up._

_There was at least one person awake in every car to keep watch. Sherry wanted to take the first watch. Dwight insisted that he could but Sherry argued that she wasn't tired as he reluctantly let her have her way._

_Sherry propped her legs up on the dashboard with her seat reclined slightly as she kept watch. She cleaned her gun while doing so as a way to distract her from other things that bothered her. It was a combination of a lot of things that weighed on her mind. She woke up that morning not knowing that their home was going to be taken so quickly. It was a matter of less than a day that changed everything._

_Dwight made a noise in his sleep as Sherry glanced at him with underlying thought. It was obvious to her that she cared for Dwight on more than a friendship level. He was a great guy by any standards. But like their home, he could be taken away from her within seconds. _What are you doing, Sher? Shouldn't it be best that you keep your distance?

_As she looked at the night's sky, she brooded over her thoughts. It felt good to open up to someone about what was going on in her head. She spent most of her time alone with Dwight which brought them closer together. However, Sherry had the urge to pull away from him. Despite everything that they had been through, she didn't want to miss him when the day came that he would leave her. _It's better this way.

_Dwight started stirring again but woke himself up while doing so. Sherry watched as he sat up and stared at her. "I can take watch now," he offered groggily. "You go to bed, okay?"_

"_Okay," Sherry responded back but in a voice absent of joy. She was going to miss Dwight while keeping her distance from him. However, that was the point and she hoped that it would make it easier as time went on._

…

Yolanda and Sherry packed up all the knives that were in Negan's house. Sherry placed them in a duffel bag that she would then hand to Terri who would take them to the secret spot in the empty building. It seemed less suspicious if one of the nurses had a giant duffel bag and walking around the town versus Sherry whose only job in Sanctuary was to look pretty.

"In a couple of hours, after Terri drops off the stuff, I'm going to check our spot to see everything that we have. We might need other things to stock up on." Sherry explained as they sat in the living room take a well-deserved break after preparing for their leave.

"It'll be dark soon, Sherry," Yolanda said with caution. "Just be careful walking around in the street… The men here give me the creeps."

Sherry smiled the warning off but nodded that she spoke truth. "I'll take a knife with me just in case someone is stupid enough to push their luck."

Yolanda smiled back knowing that she would have a retort such as that. With every moment that their group became stronger and less vulnerable to the Saviors, her confidence gained. She imagined Negan's gawking face as he realized that they were long gone. They wanted to stay far away from the roads and towns that were at least within a fifty mile radius of Sanctuary. Until they were a great distance, they would camp in the forests. It wouldn't be the first time that they had to; Sherry actually looked forward to it.

They didn't have an exact destination planned but Sherry hoped to convince her group to make a long trek up to the upper peninsula of Michigan where she hoped to run into her family. The thought made her overjoyed as she pictured her parents meeting the friends that she made…and Dwight. The reunion in her mind made her heart soar. The trek would be long, treacherous, and unknowing. But their group was strong. They could survive their escape and whatever came after that.

With all the knives in the bag, Yolanda zipped it up and smiled. "Almost there."

Sherry grinned at her friend. "Almost there," she echoed.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Dwight walked slowly out of his room when he heard Yolanda walk inside their house. When he stepped down into the small main entrance room, Yolanda wasn't surprised to see him there. "Going somewhere?" Yolanda asked knowingly.

He smiled sheepishly. "I thought I could use a breath of fresh air," Dwight replied

Yolanda snorted at his response but grinned. "You don't have to lie to me." She informed.

Dwight glanced up to her as he put on his shoes on. "I figure the less you know, the better," he said to her in a more serious tone.

Yolanda understood what he meant and nodded. "I am glad that you two have found happiness," she said letting him know that she was on his side. Yolanda knew about him and Sherry seeing each other and didn't say a word. Yolanda was cautious and didn't want Negan to have a reason to punish their group. Being a close friend to Hannah, Dwight understood why.

"This will sound bizarre," Yolanda started. "But in some ways I feel this world gave me something that the other couldn't."

Dwight looked puzzled at her statement. Each day he wished that their world would somehow correct itself. He found it odd that she would say something like that. "What do you mean?" Dwight asked.

Yolanda shrugged with a smile. "I had this job where I worked nine to five at an office in Atlanta. I did that straight out of college. It paid well and I was good at it." She stopped and looked down. "There is no passion in accounting. Outside of work, I didn't have a social life either. I didn't dedicate time to meet someone special either. I was on my own."

She stared off into the distance as her face read confusion. "When things started to go badly in the city, I had no choice to leave. In my whole adult life, I lived an empty life. Yet in my first day one things went terrible for everyone else… I found little Jenna walking all by herself." Yolanda grimaced at the memory but continued. "She looked so sad and helpless. I knew that I was supposed to be hers and that she was supposed to be my little girl." Tears came from her eyes as she quickly dabbed at her cheeks. "This life has its fair share of hardships but if this didn't happen, I wouldn't have her. My life is way more meaningful now than it was before."

Dwight understood what she meant in his own way. He had a great life before everything happened and he had meaning. He had an older brother that had his back through thick and thin. They depended on each other for everything. When his brother died, there was nothing. Not knowing if he was going to live much longer himself, he wandered the area without a purpose. After weeks of contemplating whether he should walk towards a herd and give up, he then saw Sherry for the first time. It was another person trying to keep it together like he was. At first sight, she ignited something in him; a new reason to live.

"Do you love Sherry?" Yolanda asked.

The words almost surprised Dwight when he heard them but a sudden calm interrupted his thoughts that his emotions were moving too fast. They had known each other for seven months. That time felt like decades had passed. They both shared experiences that drew them closer due to the mutual trauma or bonding. Love wasn't something that just happened after their first kiss was shared. It had grown and matured before he even knew what it was.

Dwight was reminded of a conversation that he had with his dad a long time ago. He asked his dad why love was so special and why everyone needed it.

"_How do you know that you love your mother, Dwight?" His dad, Jack, asked._

_Ten year old Dwight thought about it momentarily and shrugged as he tried to word his answer. "I guess I do things around the house for her…We made breakfast for her on Mother's Day." He responded confidently._

_His dad looked mildly impressed by his answer. "So doing things to help you mother shows the love you have for her, is that what you're saying?" His dad pondered for clarity._

_Dwight nodded._

"_You are certainly on the right track. Mommy does a lot for you too. We told you what cancer is, right? How Mommy had it a long time ago?" His dad asked._

_Dwight nodded again but stayed silent. Any time that they spoke of his mom's previous sickness, it was a time where he and John had to listen carefully. Jack expected some life lessons to be valued over everything else._

"_Your mother was told by the doctors that she had to start treatment to make her feel better," Jack said. "She couldn't start getting medicine because we found out weeks earlier that you were in her tummy. And that medicine, Dwight? That medicine isn't for babies. It would have killed you." His dad stopped explaining as Dwight stared at him with wide eyes._

"_She chose to wait for treatment until you were born," Jack stated and reached for Dwight's shoulder. "Son, I'm not going to lie. Those were the hardest couple of months for our family. She was so weak that she had to stay on bed rest for most of her pregnancy. Grandma Orlich had to come live with us for that time to take care of your brother so Mom could rest and I could go to work. We didn't know if you two were going to survive." He said solemnly and looked back up to his son. "Do you know why I am telling you this?"_

_Dwight shook his head still speechless. He never heard the full story before._

"_Your mom loved you so much that she was willing to sacrifice her own life so that you could live," Jack said with a tearful smile. "At that time, I didn't understand that kind of love. I was angry for most of the time that she was sick. But when we first saw you, I knew that she made the right decision. I was scared that I could probably raise two kids on my own. But I loved you boys. And soon after, your mom started the treatment that she needed."_

_His dad looked to Dwight and brought him into a hug. "That's what love is. If you care enough about someone that you make difficult sacrifices for them, it's a safe bet that you love them." He said with a wink._

Dwight came out of his train of thought and felt satisfied upon his discovery. He didn't need to confirm what Yolanda asked; the answer was clear on his face.

"Oh, please," Yolanda said while rolling her eyes. "This is almost insane that I knew you loved her way before you found that out yourself." She started to laugh from the joy of it. Their moments of happiness were few and far between.

Dwight chuckled and stood up. "Well, I'm off for my _walk_," he stated.

"Don't strain yourself too much," Yolanda teased while her word of caution had a double meaning.

"Pshaw," Dwight mumbled as he headed for the door. "I'm going for a _walk_," he emphasized again. "I'm saving the running for later." Yolanda laughed at his subtle innuendo as he opened the door and took off. For being in Sanctuary, life was looking pretty good.

…

_Sherry looked from person to person in her group. It had been a long several days of walking since their vehicles finally gave in. Everyone looked beyond tired from meandering aimlessly in the forest. They did their best to avoid walkers and have had little trouble because of it. Sherry assumed that they were just in a more rural area. She honestly had no idea where they were or even how long they had been travelling._

_She often thought about how much time had passed since the outbreak. The life she had before the apocalypse seemed so distant that it was weird to think it was an extension of her at all. She became different. To survive, she had to remain different._

_As she looked at their little makeshift fire, Sherry began to zone out from everything around her. She did this often when she tried to think of a good memory to keep her thoughts optimistic. Instead, her thoughts always dwelled to her parents and the last time that she spoke with them. Those thoughts only made her feel bitter._

_Sherry stopped looking at the fire and instead glanced to each member of her group again. They depended on her to call the shots. She didn't know why and didn't expect them to listen to her but they always seemed to do so anyways. Sherry presumed that no one wanted to take on the responsibility themselves. She was eager to come up with solutions to their problems alongside Dwight._

_Out of the corner of her eye, she could sense Dwight staring at her while she was lost in thought. Ever since she vowed to keep her distance from him, it was almost as if he knew that she was trying to mentally step away. He didn't say anything about it but was ardent when an opportunity came to help or talk to her in any way. Sherry felt bad about it. However, she reminded herself that they already lost members with no warning beforehand. She never expected to have a "last" phone call with her parents. It would forever be etched in her brain along with the heartache that she felt with their absence. If she didn't feel an attachment to him than an untimely demise for either of them would perhaps be easier._

_She stood up from her spot by the fire and started walking away from the camp with her trusted shotgun. She didn't make it more than ten feet until someone was already on her tail. She didn't even have to guess who it was because she already knew. _

"_Where do you think you're going?" Dwight questioned._

_Sherry looked over her shoulder and smiled politely. "I'm just going on a little walk," she muttered._

"_Mind if I join you?" He asked._

_Sherry tried to think of an excuse why he couldn't tag along. "I'm actually going to the bathroom so I think I might need my privacy for this one." She explained._

_Dwight was quiet for a second as he thought of what to say next. "You could still run into trouble out there all alone. I would feel better if we used some kind of buddy system at night." He argued awkwardly._

"_Dwight! You are not coming with me to the bathroom," Sherry contended. "It's not even a real bathroom. It's just me squatting next to a tree."_

_He shook his head vehemently. "No! Sherry, I'm not going to watch you!" He said while almost appalled. "That makes me sound like the creepiest person on the planet!"_

_Sherry nearly smiled but kept her composure. "Okay, then what do you suggest?" She asked._

"_I was going to say that I have a safe, non-creepy distance," Dwight offered. "I won't see you; you won't see me."_

"_How can I trust that you won't look at me with my pants down?" Sherry questioned almost amused that they were having such a conversation._

"_Please," Dwight said while rolling his eyes. "The first time I see you naked, I would think it would be a little more romantic then that."_

"_First time?" Sherry inquired._

_It was nearly pitch black yet she swore that she could see his face turn beet red from his remark. He stammered a phrase but nothing of significance came out of his mouth. She wanted to laugh at him but tried to keep her cool and the upper hand in the small debate that they were having. She was about to comment and let him off the hook but looked beyond him towards the camp. In the distance, she could see her group stirring quietly and soon ran towards their direction._

_Dwight turned around to see what she was staring at and then saw a walker herd descend upon their camp. Everyone was already out of the camp as they ran quietly away from the scene. There was nothing that they could do at that point. All of their belongings; gone. They could only make it out with their weapons and what they had on their backs. _

_Sherry felt Dwight grab her hand as they started to run away with their group members behind them. "Is everyone accounted for?" Dwight whispered._

"_My family is here," Jason uttered. "I don't think the walkers know we are here yet. We gotta get moving!" Terri cried in the background as the scene was eerily familiar to when she lost her two oldest children._

"_Hannah and I are here," Dean answered._

"_We're here," Takuya and Haruki said in unison._

"_Jenna and I are here," Yolanda said being the last to respond. "We're all here."_

_Sherry stopped in her tracks as Dwight tugged on her arm and was surprised by the sudden stop. He looked at her and wondered what the fuss was all about. She gazed up to him with pleading eyes. "We have to go back to our camp," Sherry stressed._

"_Sherry, no!" Dwight said in quiet harshness. "It's not safe anymore. We'll get more supplies somewhere else."_

"_Please, Dwight!" Sherry begged as she held his hand tightly to express the urgency. "My phone is there! I need it!" The want for such a materialistic thing seemed so immature and it sounded like a trivial request that wasn't worth losing their lives for. Sherry didn't allow herself to have a moment of panic since they had been in their world. However, she saw her phone as the only way that her parents would be able to contact her once things settled down. Without that phone, all hope of hearing from them again was lost._

_Dwight peeked over her head to see the camp. Sherry knew it was too late. Soon the walkers would find them if they didn't get moving in the other direction. "Sherry," Dwight began with apology in his voice. "See reason here. We could put our group in jeopardy if we go back."_

_Angered that he didn't have her back, she tried to get out of his grasp so she could walk towards the camp alone. She didn't need their help. However, with every step that she tried to take, her hope of retrieving her most prized possession started fading away._

"_Sherry!" Dwight practically scolded. His grip on her hand was tight as he refused to release her._

"_Let me go!" She said equally harsh._

_Dwight nodded to the other group members that they would eventually catch up with them as they ran away. They already had a safe point in mind and knew where to meet up if they became separated. Sherry tried to pry her hand away from Dwight's firm hold but to no avail. Dwight brought his other to her hip and pushed her against a tree to prop her against it so she could hold still and see reason. The whole time she fought while starting to sob. She almost couldn't believe how irrational she was behaving at the moment but logic was vanishing from her mindset. She had gone days without sleeping. All she had to do was hear a twig in the distance and it put her on edge so much so that she was unable to rest._

"_Sherry, dammit!" Dwight whispered sternly. "Look at me! Please! Our camp is fucking gone!" She tried to push him off of her but when every shove, the more Dwight's hold became stronger. From his perspective, the walkers were drawing closer to them the longer that they lingered. He put his whole weight against her to calm her down from the episode that she was enduring. "Sherry! Please!"_

_He leaned down as his face was only inches from hers. She looked into his eyes and saw the despair echo her own. Uncontrollable sobs erupted from her throat as her body became less tense. Dwight relaxed his own body as he saw that she wasn't fighting anymore and brought her into a bear hug. He began moving her away from the camp again while he still held her close. It was a miracle that the herd hadn't seen them already. _

"_We have to go, Sher," Dwight said quietly as they started running away from their camp._

_Sherry had to let her family go. She always had a glimmer of faith that everything would go back to normal. That society would once again be back on its feet. And perhaps one day she would see her parents. That hope fell away with the more distance that they put away from their camp._

…

Sherry watched the streets of Sanctuary through the living room window. All the lights were turned off in the house so that her observing would go unnoticed and everyone would assume that she was in bed. She wanted to check her hiding spot that they had to make sure they had everything for their first day and night away. Even though the goal was to put as much distance from them and Sanctuary, she entertained the thought of coming back and seeking vengeance for Hannah but knew better than to put her group through the personal vendetta.

After looking out at the street for several more minutes, she opened the front door and stepped outside. She closed the door behind her as quietly as she could so no one would draw their attention towards Negan's house. The only people that were on watch were the ones at the gates. She felt confident that the house was far enough away that she could slip past anyone.

Their hiding spot was just across the street from the house. She walked to the picket fence and crouched low. She predicted that Dwight would sneak into the house in a few moment's time so she tried to act fast so he wouldn't worry. After sitting in her spot for a couple of seconds and hearing no suspicious sounds, she opened the gate slowly and went on her way.

While looking at both directions in the street, she ran towards the other side and reached the door when suddenly she heard someone or something to her right. She jumped out of her skin when she realized that she had been caught. However, the other person wasn't sneaking like she was. He was merely waltzing up to her with a skip in his step. It looked less jovial than the man intended with a leg wound that he received as he limped along his way.

"Well, well," the man slurred as he came closer in view. "We have someone sneaking out of their confines, don't we?" He was a squirrely looking guy who was only two inches taller than her own petite self. Everything about him made her stand on edge. His eyes quickly looked at her up and down with perverted smile on his face.

She played dumb while stepping back towards the house. Her gaze never left his as she watched his every move towards her. "I just needed to get some fresh air," she maintained with a fake smile but was on full alert. She received countless lectures from her father on how to prevent sexual abuse. Her fight with Negan was unfairly matched because he simply was a brute. Yet, he continued to hold onto their agreement. The scrawny man in front of her she considered to be her equal if it came to violent methods. He took uneven steps towards her as she continued to step towards the house.

He turned to look at the building that she was heading towards then glanced back at her. "You want a tour of that building?" He offered as he held his hand out towards her. "I can give you one if you're up for it."

Sherry shook her head. "I'm pretty tired. I think I'm going to go back in Negan's house instead," she said while never taking her sights off of him. "Good night."

"Negan isn't supposed to be home for a couple of days," the man reminded her. "If you're feeling lonely, all you have to do is ask." He winked towards her awkwardly as Sherry knew that he was completely wasted.

She wore a disgusted look on her face and grimaced. She had received similar cheesy lines at the bar near her college before everything happened. But her friends were always close by. She didn't feel safe anymore while being inside the Sanctuary walls. "I don't think Negan would like that," Sherry tried to reason while keeping Negan in the conversation. The men feared Negan. Surely, she could use it to her advantage.

"He would probably dislike it as much as you sleeping around with that new kid," the man said as it made Sherry stop walking towards the house. The man knew. The man knew about Dwight sneaking into Negan's at night.

"What did you say?" Sherry practically interrogated as she took a step closer to him with no more alert in her stature. She took on the role of protector instead while feeling confident that she could take him on easily.

"Dwight's his name, isn't it?" The man asked. "I saw him sneak into Negan's house while I was trying to be a peeping tom." He then put his hands up in defense. "Don't worry. I didn't tell anyone else. I thought I could keep that a secret between you and me."

"How about I cut your tongue off so you can't tell anybody? Would you like that?" Sherry quipped back as she stormed towards him. Her countenance must have seemed a bit more intimidating because he stopped walking forward and started inching away instead.

He shook his head quickly. "_Or _we could just sweeten the deal," he suggested. "You and me have some fun and romp a little bit. In exchange, my lips are sealed." The man reached down to touch her hip as she was then eye to eye with him.

In half a second, she took his arm and twisted as hard as she could. His body tried to go with his arm as he bent down to be comfortable with the terrible pain she was causing. She leaned over him and whispered lowly. "You do not order me around and tell me what to do," Sherry cautioned. "I already have one asshole threatening me. But frankly, his offer was one that I couldn't refuse. You and your little threat mean nothing to me. Nothing! You got that?" She asked. He nodded his head to appear compliant with her. She then kneed him in the groin and started walking towards the house again. Unsatisfied with leaving loose ends, she stopped in her tracks and walked back to the man who was on the street in fetal position. "You so much as tell another soul that you know about Dwight, I will kill you personally. Don't think it's an empty threat either." She kicked him in the stomach as he yelped in pain once more.

She treaded towards the house while focused on no longer giving him a second thought. Sherry played with the gate door as she heard shuffling behind her. She turned around to see the man charging towards her with drunken anger written on his face. He was a foot away from her when she completely turned around and backhanded him across the face. The man stumbled as her adrenaline kicked in as she then marched towards him with her hands as fists.

Her father was similar to her in many regards. Vincent Ciccone never backed down from a fight. Sherry was a competitor in her own right. Like her father, she had a temper when someone pushed her buttons enough. As she jumped onto the man and wrestled him to the ground, she could only see red. Her dad told her about the switch that he had to turn on and off when he was on duty as a cop. It helped him make decisions that the man she knew at home couldn't make. As she perched herself on top of the sorry excuse of a human being, Sherry punched him in the face three times and decided to keep the switch on. She wasn't holding back her restraint if she had any left. It was a fight that she could win and she would see it to the very end.

The man rolled over and tried to make his way on top of her but his moves were too sloppy. He was able to get one hard punch on her nose before she shimmied quickly out of his reach. She could feel that her nose was broken upon impact but wasn't completely worried as she still had the upper hand. He stalked towards her with a new determination. She quickly stooped down and picked up dirt from the road and threw it at his face. He covered his eyes as she kicked his face with all of her strength. Then she was on him like a rabid dog and punched him in the groin, face, stomach, or whatever else she could see. He kept on backing up but stumbled to the street in surrender.

She knelt down beside him and looked at him in the eye. "Are we done?" She asked, her voice shaking.

"You bitch!" He yelled while holding his face. He almost looked unrecognizable. Sherry felt a surge of power invoke her as she looked upon him. She felt extremely in charge of the situation. She hadn't felt so in charge in a long time. It felt good. She only wished that she had a weapon so that she could end the sorry waste of life right then and there.

She stopped her train of thought and shook her head violently. She had already won the war. What was she thinking? Was the adrenaline and power getting to her too much? The feeling was as if she could take on hundreds of people at one time for no reason other than she could do it. It must have been how Negan felt all the time. She refused to be like him. She started backing away but then heard a gunshot ring out in the air and saw the man's body go limp.

Shock overcame her as she looked at the man's dead corpse. She almost wondered if she somehow shot him because her mind felt that strong even though she didn't even have a gun on her person. She let out a gasp and looked around in question to see the source. Then she immediately felt sorrow as she saw Dwight twenty feet away with his gun still aimed at the man.

"Dwight?" She asked in disbelief. He had just shot someone in cold blood. She could see the same red in his eyes that once overtook her only moments before he even came on the scene.

She glanced down to the man who laid in the middle of the street as voices started to emerge from nearby buildings. Sherry backed away from the scene slightly while still shocked at everything that happened. She didn't know what was worse. The fact that she thought about killing the man or that Dwight actually did it. What was probably worse was that she didn't blame Dwight or find him guilty. He was still her Dwight.

Dwight's switch turned off in his mind as he looked away from the man and towards her. "Sher," he began. Just then, car lights from the other side of the Sanctuary gates interrupted him. Saviors opened the gate as Negan's legion poured inside the walls once more. Sherry's mood deflated significantly as she realized that her group missed their opportunity of flight. Negan was back.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Negan observed Sherry from the other side of the table as she waited for him to respond to what she said. He and his men were shocked to see what literally laid before them when they returned to Sanctuary. Dwight and Sherry didn't really know what to say. Some of them men even went to say that they were glad to see the man, named Alex, gone. Negan let Dwight off the hook and sent him on his way and guided Sherry back into his house. It was there that they went into the kitchen where he calmly asked her to explain what happened.

She summed it up as self-defense and that Alex wanted to take advantage of her. She fought him as Dwight stumbled upon their brawl and disposed of the man. It wasn't far from the truth and it was what Negan wanted to hear.

When she was done with her side of the story, Negan continued to study her face to see if the story carried its authenticity by the way that she acted. Sherry remained in her spot and looked him straight in the eye to almost challenge him in his search to find a flaw. Her nose was broken and her face was battered. _What more information could he need?_

They then heard a sound as a Savior came into the house with Terri following behind. When Terri rounded the corner to see Sherry sitting at the kitchen table, she gasped and put a hand to her mouth. "Sherry!" Terri exclaimed as she sat her backpack on the table and cupped Sherry's face in both of her hands. "What happened?"

The front door opened again. Whoever it was didn't come inside the kitchen so Sherry couldn't see who it was but then heard Dwight's voice as he spoke to someone at the main entrance of Negan's house. Negan gave a small smile to Sherry and left the kitchen.

"You wanted to see me, Negan?" She heard Dwight ask as Terri placed all of her supplies that she needed on the kitchen table to help fix Sherry's nose. Terri brought many washcloths with her as she placed those on Sherry's lap and immediately put one under Sherry's chin. Blood wasn't flowing like it was only moments before but Sherry was sure that she still looked like a mess.

"I wanted you to tell me what went down but Sherry explained everything already," Negan said to Dwight as Sherry leaned her ear close to the kitchen entrance to eavesdrop. "You saved my wife and her honor. You've done right in my book. I just wanted to thank you."

"How is she doing?" Dwight asked while Sherry could hear his voice sounded very tired.

"Terri is with her now," Negan told. "She has a broken nose but Terri said that she could fix it." They spoke in quieter tones or moved to a place further away as Sherry could no longer hear their conversation.

"Blow your nose in that washcloth," Terri instructed as she gestured to the washcloth under Sherry's chin.

Sherry looked wary at the very notion and didn't even know if she had the ability to blow her nose at that point.

Terri saw the look of trepidation and stared at Sherry intently. "It'll be a little painful but there is a lot of mucous and blood stored in there," she reasoned. "It all needs to come out."

Sherry sighed and lightly touched her nose with the washcloth. She blew her nose countless times and just as Terri predicted, a lot of blood came out for three washcloths to be stained with red throughout the process. Once there wasn't any more, they were both satisfied that the inside of her nose was clean enough to continue.

"I am going to rub some lidocaine cream on and around your noise," Terri informed. "It should numb your nose to help us further into the process." She started dabbing it on a fresh washcloth.

Sherry smiled slightly. "You don't have to tell me what you're doing, Terri," she assured. "I trust you."

Terri grinned back and made a face. "It's a habit," she said simply as she started gently rubbing the lidocaine on Sherry's nose. "To avoid being sued, we would have to walk patients through every process of a procedure. There was always a chance that a patient thought that they knew what was best. Sometimes they did. But we just wanted to avoid the nasty lawsuits."

Sherry's nose was already starting to hurt only from Terri touching it. "I promise that I won't sue you," she teased through gritted teeth.

Terri winked at her as she went to work. She sat for several minutes and looked down at the notes that she jotted down. "Do you feel a tingle yet?" She asked.

"Yeah," Sherry responded. "It's numb and ready to go."

"Good!" Terri uttered and immediately put both her index fingers and thumbs in a triangular shape and placed them on each side of Sherry's nose. "I want you to inhale through your mouth and exhale with your nose. This might take a while and I'm going to tell you exactly what I'm doing just for kicks and giggles, okay?"

Sherry gave a brief nod of understanding. She was curious how Terri was going to fix it anyways.

"Okay," Terri began. "Start the breathing like how I told you to and listen to me and my words. It'll help you not focus on the pain."

Sherry did what Terri instructed. With every slow inhale and exhale, Terri slowly moved parts of her nose with both index fingers fitting snugly against it. "Broken noses are routine for me. I think as a nurse, I dealt with two broken noses every week. They mostly came from bar fights that broke out. Now just because I dealt with them often, doesn't make them an easy fix. What _makes_ it easy is the bones that are inside your nose. They are moldable and simple to form back. What I am doing is realigning it. Without this process, your nose would grow back crooked and it could cause breathing problems. We want to keep your face pretty and we want you to breathe. So we are going to make this baby as straight as possible," Terri said it all with a smile to try and keep Sherry distracted.

The front door opened and closed as she saw Negan step back into the kitchen as he searched through the cabinets to produce two shot glasses as he placed them on the counter. He then turned around and leaned against the fridge as he watched Terri work.

Every so often Terri's adjustment to Sherry's nose would make her eyes water. She tried not to move her face but sometimes Terri's reshaping would be too painful for her to take. Her hands were in fists to help relieve the stress that she felt. With the adrenaline during the fight, it didn't seem as severe but with every second that her heart rate went back to normal, she was hyper aware of how bruised her body began to feel from the scuffle.

Terri made eye contact with Sherry briefly while Sherry could see the affliction that they both shared. With Negan back, their escape would be postponed for a little while longer. Sherry hoped that they would have been able to sneak out the following day since their supplies were all in the secret stash but with Negan back, that goal diminished quickly. The disappointment was heavy on their little group. She could see it in Terri's eyes.

Terri brought her hands down from Sherry's face and examined her work. "Looks good if I say so myself!" She exclaimed with mild pride. "I am going to wrap this up." Terri then turned to Negan to address him. "Do you have ice here?"

Negan stood up straight to open the freezer door as he nodded. "Yes, ma'am, indeed I do," he answered.

Terri got out a zip lock bag from her supplies as Negan placed ice inside of it for her. "That will help with swelling throughout the night. If you have any extra pillows, that'll help Sherry's nose from getting backed up with gunk. She'll be a snorer for the next couple of weeks."

"I'll take care of her," Negan assured Terri as he looked at Sherry with some concern. Sherry avoided his gaze as he didn't often stare at her like that. He almost seemed human when he looked at her like that.

Terri smiled towards him but Sherry could still detect the worry in her eyes. Sherry tried to give a silent message to Terri that she would be alright. They exchanged glances one more time as Terri started getting bandages from her bag. They both hoped that Sherry didn't have to spend another night with Negan. Nevertheless, they had to grin and bear it.

…

Terri left once the bandage was in place on her nose. Sherry kept the lidocaine cream as it sat on the table while she waited to go to bed. Negan brought the shot glasses that he got previously and also placed them on the table in front of Sherry. He then rummaged through the kitchen cabinets and opened his personal alcohol stash. Facing her with a wink, he walked back and sat beside her. "It looks like you could use a drink," he offered and presented the Cuervo bottle.

Sherry glimpsed up at Negan's face to see if he had any ulterior motives. However, the idea of drinking alcohol did sound appealing to her as it would numb the pain that she felt even more. She also didn't want to deal with the heartbreak of their escape not happening in the near future. A distraction sounded exactly like something she needed. "You know what? That is not the worst idea in the world. I could really use a drink."

Negan smiled wide as his dimples showed behind his usual five o'clock shadow that he sported. "Know of any shot games that we could play?" He inquired as he started to pour the liquid into the individual glasses.

"I am in the mood for a drink," Sherry complained. "Not for games."

He shrugged. "Just a thought. We don't have to if you don't want to." Negan handed her a glass and instantly drank back his own. She did the same but couldn't hide scrunching up her face at the taste.

"Not a tequila girl, I take it?" Negan asked with a smirk from her reaction.

"I've never really been a drinker," Sherry confessed. "I did like red wine before though. But I guess beggars can't be choosers anymore, right?"

Negan watched her for a moment before he stood up and went back to his stash. After searching for several moments he produced a wine bottle with a cork screw. "For you, my lady," he presented and started opening it for her.

Sherry couldn't conceal her some happiness that she had from seeing it; much to her dismay. "If I only knew that was there earlier," she said in amazement.

"Then it would be long gone by now," he teased as he twisted the screw once more as it opened. "Red wine, huh? You are the sophisticated drinker then." Negan put the bottle before her then retrieved a wine glass for her as well.

"Thanks," Sherry said while genuinely grateful and took the glass from his hand. "I guess so. I just prefer the taste. My parents always let me sip some during special events. If I ever missed home while I was in college, I would get some wine. For nostalgic reasons."

"What kind of special events?" Negan asked while seeming intrigued by her ramblings.

Sherry then started to feel uncomfortable while thinking that she was bonding with the enemy. "Um, weddings, baptisms, stuff like that," she explained.

"Were you Catholic?" He questioned.

Sherry nodded but appeared confused in how he would know that. "How did you guess?"

"Wine and baptisms," Negan responded. "I feel like Catholics try and bring the wine out whenever they have the opportunity to."

Sherry poured herself some wine as Negan filled up his shot glass. "I guess. It's a very Italian thing to do, that's for sure."

"Italian?" Negan said while he seemed to perk up from the revelation and whistled. He then drank a second shot and looked at Sherry with even more appeal in his eyes. "It could be the alcohol talking but that makes you all the more attractive."

"It's the alcohol," Sherry reasoned evenly and drank her wine. Memories immediately started flooding back of simpler times with her family. Surprisingly, tears sprang from her eyes as she tried to wipe them away quickly and then drank more to drown the inner despair that she felt. She then looked to Negan who was staring at her with remorse. She didn't know whether to feel insulted that he was taking pity on her because he was the majority of the problem.

"Negan…" Sherry started as she tried to think of what to say. If she was catching him in a moment where he was feeling sorry for her, she chose to ask him some questions that he would open up to in that small window of opportunity that she had.

"Negan, why me?" She asked softly and placed her glass down on the table. As she asked, his face almost twisted into some expression of sadness for her. "Why did you choose me to be your wife?"

As if deep in thought, he put his shot glass down and leaned against his seat. Negan took a deep breath then reached for one of Sherry's hands that was resting on her lap. He turned her hand over and started tracing the lines in her palm delicately then glanced back up to her. "This won't make sense to say it out loud," he began. "But when I saw you… I wanted you. I wanted to touch you, kiss you… I wanted _someone_. I would have done anything to have you."

Momentarily resting his gaze on her body, Sherry responded to his answer by drinking her disgust away with another sip of wine. His words hurt more than she expected them to. He didn't take her into consideration. Not that she thought he did before but his revelation all but confirmed it. He didn't deserve her affection if she ever gave it to him. She wasn't the kind of person to tolerate that kind of behavior. Yet, in Sanctuary, she had no choice.

It was odd. On the other hand, she could tell Negan meant what he said. He didn't say it in a harsh way but rather it had a feel of warmth to it. It should have repulsed her even more. In a way it did. However, the other part of her believed that he was trying his personal best. _Don't sympathize with him, _Sherry thought. _What's wrong with me?_

Negan could see the conflict within her as he brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it softly. Pretending not to be moved by what he was doing, Sherry took her hand away from him and stood up. "I'm pretty tired," Sherry said while consciously breaking their small moment that they shared. "I would like to go to bed."

Negan nodded but stared at her with some playfulness apparent in his expression. "Would you like to share a bed tonight?" He asked.

Sherry gave him a knowing stare while she tilted her head with impatience. "I'm not sleeping with you, Negan."

He rolled his eyes at her response. "I know you aren't ready for that yet," he started. "I'm talking about _just_ sleeping together. I want to take care of you tonight with your nose being the way that it is."

"My answer would be a no but something tells me that you already made up your mind," Sherry muttered before she downed the rest of the wine that was still in her glass.

"Great! It's settled," Negan exclaimed and clapped his hands together. He cleaned up their glasses and bottles and put them back in the cabinets to be used for another night. Every so often, he would look up from his task and smile at her. She returned it slightly but didn't hold any happiness behind it. With him, she felt suffocated.

…

Dwight tossed and turned in his bed for hours. His mind would go from Drew to Alexa and the brief moments when he saw both of them alive. They each had lives before their new world. Drew could've been someone similar to him when he was his age. When he couldn't stand to think of Drew anymore, his mind would dwell on Alex instead. He didn't think too fondly of Alex but wondered if the new world made him a terrible person. Dwight pondered if Alex had a family that loved him before the apocalypse happened.

He sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes. Mentally, he was exhausted but his brain refused to shut off as it continued to let him think of the guilt that he felt. His stomach was in knots. He shook his head and finally got of bed no longer able to take the personal hell it was to try and rest.

Dwight walked downstairs and sat on the living couch in a huff. The room was dark and quiet but he thought it quiet fitting for how he felt. After several minutes of staring off into space, he sat up with more frustration and stepped towards the bookcase. Dean had already poured over several books throughout the time that they had been in Sanctuary. Dwight hoped that he could find something that could ease his mind or at least distract him from the troubles that he faced.

His attention was brought to a copy of the Bible. Not being a religious man himself, he was still curious as to what it contained and always heard how much people liked or quoted it. His mom, Rebekah Orlich, always seemed to quote things from various passages as she was more of a church-goer than the rest of his family was. Hesitant to open it and confused on where to even start, he picked up the book and randomly opened it while hoping that he would get lucky.

Then he saw a scripture marked in red with a colored pencil. _'Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:'_

Dwight closed the book swiftly and put it back in its place as he grinded his teeth in consternation. If it were any other book he would have thrown it against the wall. He sat back on the couch and rested his elbows on his knees while his palms went to his forehead. He groaned at the problems that he faced and knew that he was slipping quickly away into someone that he didn't even recognize.

There were so many things in his life that felt out of place. He wasn't even supposed to be in Sanctuary. Or in the Washington D.C. area. He was supposed to graduate with a doctorate and live with his brother in Atlanta. He wondered what the apocalypse would have been like if his brother lived a little while longer. John was his closest friend that he ever had. They became incredibly close after their parents died. As he sat on the couch, he craved for his brother's advice. In a moment where things seemed confusing, he knew that John would have an answer.

He laid down on the couch and closed his eyes. He thought about his brother as his eyes started to feel heavy. No longer did he think of Drew or Alex. The distraction of thinking of someone else seemed to help as he dozed off into slumber.

…

"_First things first," John started as he looked outside his loft's window. "We need to get out of the city." Atlanta was a living hell as people raided buildings and others attacked each viciously. "I should have met you up in Athens. I really shouldn't have asked you to pick me up."_

_Dwight heard the regret in his brother's voice but didn't think too much of it. "It's just as bad there as it is here," he said in an effort to make him feel better. He packed several things from John's food pantry in a duffel bag. Satisfied that they had enough for a couple of days, he closed and glanced toward his older brother. "Ready to go?" He asked._

_John stared back at his brother solemnly and nodded. "Yeah, let's do this."_

"_The guys are waiting next to the car," Dwight disclosed as they headed out the front door towards the elevator. "They are guarding it in case someone tried to raid our shit." John locked his loft as Dwight went to press the elevator button. Before the button even lit up, the electricity shut down throughout the entire building. The green exit sign illuminated the hallway as they could hear screams from above and beneath them._

"_Stairs it is," John stated as headed towards the exit sign. They opened the door to the stairway and started walking with their bags stuffed full of essentials. "Do we have flashlights?" John asked._

_Dwight looked through his duffel bag and produced two small flashlights that their distant aunt gave them as a Christmas stocking stuffer one year. He handed one to John as they each turned theirs on. As they descended down the steps, other people from John's apartment building started flooding the staircase. There was a great deal of confusion as family member's screamed for others names in the rush. They finally made it to the garage level of the seventeen floor building as Dwight could see his college roommates waving him down. "Let's get the fuck out of here," Dwight muttered as he grabbed for John's shoulder. "Shit's starting to hit the fan!"_

_They ran to the car as a massive explosion could be heard above them. Dust immediately shook down from the concrete ceiling above them and even more came from the staircase door as people emerged in more of a panic than before. "Holy fuck!" Dwight's roommate, Ian, yelled. "They are blowing this place up! Let's go!"_

_When they reached the car, Dwight got into the driver's seat and turned on the ignition. The second that he closed his door, a bloodied person banged on his window repeatedly. He stared at the sick man who didn't really appear as if he wanted to be brought on and saved from the commotion. He was growling at Dwight instead. The whole scene was unreal as the man's skin looked sunken and gray as if he were already dead._

"_Don't let that thing in!" John yelled to his younger brother while they were all in the safety of his vehicle. "The last thing that I saw on the news was that the infected become rabid or something. That's how the disease is travelling from person to person."_

"_We have to help somehow," Dwight said while feeling bad for the guy._

"_He's past the point of any help, Dwight." John reasoned with sorrow. "We have to go or those things will kill us."_

_Dwight put the car in reverse as the infected person followed the car for a small moment until Dwight drove out of the parking garage to the best of his ability while also dodging the cars that seemed abandoned altogether. They were leaving Atlanta. Hopefully the worst was behind them._

…

_It took them hours to get out of the city. Many people and the infected alike flooded the streets. If it wasn't people that stood in his car's way, it was heavy traffic instead. Dwight decided once they were on the highway that they would switch to the road that had oncoming traffic. Fortunately for them, no one was trying to drive into Atlanta. _

_They found a piece of land in the middle of nowhere that they occupied for the first several days. They didn't stay long when a couple of rednecks found out that they were there as it was their property. They quickly left and started walking into the forest as their car had run out of gas very early into their trip._

_Dwight's group walked several miles out and rested in a different spot that overlooked their surroundings for miles. They felt safe there and they hoped that in a couple days' time that everything would settle back to normal. Dwight would go back to finishing his finals. John would go back to work. Everything would be alright._

"_Why didn't you show off your own crossbow to that bastard with the wings on his vest?" Ian joked once they settled their campsite and attempted to start a fire._

"_Did you see that guy?" Dwight countered back. "He looked intimidating as fuck. He could take me on; no contest."_

"_You still had a couple of inches over him though," John commented as he put more kindling in the middle of the fire to help it burn._

_Dwight shrugged and looked to his group. "What do you guys care? You always thought my crossbow was lame!"_

"_That was before that crossbow became the most valuable weapon that we have!" Dwight's roommate, Chad, exclaimed. "That gun that I kept for safe keeping? Yeah, the infected are drawn to noise. That's no bueno!"_

_Dwight smiled smugly and glanced towards all of them again. "Who knew that my hobby would be the most important skill that I have in life," he said but then thought about all the years of schooling for computers was a complete waste. If he knew better, he would have been the psycho with a bunker to prepare for a worldwide pandemic that swept every corner._

_John picked up on his younger brother's melancholy and took his focus away from the fire to look at him. "You are still going to be hacking the world one day after you graduate," John encouraged with confidence._

_Dwight peered at his brother as he grinded his teeth in thought. John was always there to buoy him up when he needed him to be. Since they both lost their parents, John stepped in Dwight's life to play both older brother and be the occasional parent that he deemed necessary at times when Dwight was still growing up. John continued to stare at Dwight to make sure that he was alright as Dwight shrugged to shake the sadness away. "Yeah, let's hope so," Dwight deplored._

"_Come on," John said as he went back to building the fire. "This thing can't last forever. You just have to have a little faith."_

_Dwight rolled his eyes as he leaned back against a tree. "Your fucking loft got blown up and you're _still _the optimist?" He questioned in mild disbelief._

_John grinned. "I still have my little brother's place that I could crash," he reasoned. "I'm not homeless yet."_

"_You look pretty homeless to me," Dwight joked. "How does it feel to not have shaved for a while?"_

_John felt his cheeks as his face instantly soured. "I'm not liking, to be honest," he responded. "You know me. If I could have worn a suit and tie for PJ's, I would've. Only my dry cleaning bill would have escalated immensely."_

"_The grunge look fits, I promise," Dwight assured while shaking his head. There were many characteristics that John and he shared. They were both taller than most while they both stood at six foot three and had the same build with long torsos. John had wavy hair instead of Dwight's curly hair that he inherited from his mom. Dwight had darker features with his hair being dark brown and his eyes matching it. John had green eyes and light brown hair. Their faces resembled their father as they both had the same wide smile and European nose. However, John was very much a spitting image of their dad while Dwight took on more of his mom's features. At least everyone could tell that they were siblings from first glance._

_Their personalities were very different. In some ways they enjoyed the same work and did the same major for college. Dwight enjoyed the simple things in life whereas John liked some of his things being extravagant. Dwight could hardly think of a time where John dressed down much. As far as that part of their lives, Dwight seemed to acclimate better to their new life than John did._

"_What do we have to eat?" Chad asked._

"_I guess I can try and go hunting," Dwight offered but knew his experience with hunting was low._

"_As an Eagle Scout, I think I can remember some tricks that I learned with trappings and such," John suggested._

_Dwight shook his head from his brother's response. "Good lord, John," he mumbled as he picked up his crossbow while all four of them set on their way to hunt for whatever came across their way._

…

"_Chad and Ian haven't well in a while," John muttered as he looked towards their tent with worry. _

_It had been another week since they first set up camp. They split up in their hunting trip earlier in that day when things started to spiral out of control. Ian and Chad came back but both got bit from the infected that were meandering through the forest. Since then they had been in the tent and have stayed there._

"_When you were watching the news, did it say what to do if someone got infected or bit by an already infected person?" Dwight inquired warily. He that he already asked the question multiple times but still couldn't fathom that his college friends were going to pass away soon._

_John shook his head solemnly. "It's too late for them," he lamented. "No one found a cure before all hell broke loose. There is nothing that we can do for them."_

_Dwight glanced towards his brother and raised his eyebrows. "What do you suggest that we do then?" He asked. John always had a plan. It wouldn't be the first time that John got them both out of a sticky situation. After his parents died, he had to provide for himself and Dwight. He always found a way._

_John looked into the fire and took a deep breath. "They'll become like the rest of them, Dwight," he revealed. "Then they'll be after us. I don't know what kind of disease or virus this is but they turn cannibalistic." He shook his head at how incredulous it sounded while saying it aloud. "Dwight, they were your friends. I'm going to leave it in your hands. What do you think we should do?"_

_Never since the whole thing began did Dwight feel fear settle in. With the facts out before him, he knew that many people had already succumbed to the infection. It plagued the entire world. He wondered if John and he were the only two people left at that point. From such a catastrophe, it would take a very long time for things to get back to normal. If they ever did._

"_Do you think that it would be bad to help ease their passing?" Dwight questioned. "I mean, we have seen those things walking around in the forest. Their skin and insides are rotting. By all intents and purposes, they are dead. If we perhaps help them be at peace, then they can't be a danger to us or somebody else."_

_John nodded in agreement. "Don't call me a bad person but I was thinking the same thing," he divulged._

_Dwight was glad that his brother conceded in their next plan. They would wait for Chad and Ian to pass. Once they did, they would end their lives. It seemed humane to both of them to do right by Dwight's friends since his freshmen year of college. As difficult as it would be to say goodbye, he had to make sure that they were taken care of. He owed to them._

_Just then, Dwight saw walkers emerging from the nearby woods and onto their campsite. John and Dwight stood back to back in an instant as they saw the infected swarm the tent viciously as if they knew Chad and Ian were easy targets. _

"_Chad! Ian!" Dwight yelled and drew attention to some walkers who peeled their lifeless eyes away from the tent and then to him and his brother._

_John picked up his brother's crossbow and threw it in his direction. "Dwight, it's too late for them," John reiterated. "We have to go!" There were dozens of the infected toppling over themselves to get inside the tent as that itself fell. If Chad and Ian weren't dead already, they were going to be soon._

_Dwight looked one last time to the tent but felt someone tug on his arm. He turned to see a walker about to bite down but John thrust a knife in its head from behind. They glanced to each and silently agreed that it was time to vacate…and run._

_They started bolting into the forest while it was pitch black. There were a couple of times that Dwight nearly tripped from one thing or another on the forest floor as it was difficult to make anything out in the darkness. Nor did they have time to focus on it with walkers that were still on their tail._

_Dwight then heard a noise behind him as John groaned. Instantly he stopped to see that John fell to the ground from a tree root. Then out of nowhere a walker stumbled upon his brother and went in for the kill._

"_JOHN!" Dwight shouted as he pulled his pocket knife out to dispose of the walker that already began feasting on John's shoulder. Dwight quickly stabbed the walker in the head and pulled it away from his closest friend. Dwight immediately started to sob as he saw blood gushing from the sight. "John!" Dwight wept. "We'll get you out of here! We'll fix this!" He pulled his brother up to a standing position as John yelled in pain._

_They ran for some time to get away from all of the commotion. Dwight didn't know where to go but he just had to get his brother away. As if running would make things vanish, he had to keep his brother moving. Maybe they would find a safe zone that had found a cure. However, in the back of his head, he knew his brother was gone._

…

_Hours passed as the sun began to rise. Walkers were no longer chasing them. Sweat drenched Dwight as he was practically carrying his brother near the end. John informed him in an exhausted voice that he couldn't go any further and that he was done. "We'll take a break, buddy," Dwight relented as he rested his brother next to a tree. "Regain some strength of yours. We can probably find a car and make it to Fort Benning. It could be safe there!"_

_With the light peeking from behind the trees, he could see his brother's wound more clearly. John looked whiter than he had ever seen a person's skin color before. Dwight felt helpless but needed to find a way for his brother. After all the times that John helped him through life, he refused to give up on him. Most of all, the idea of having his one source of family being taken away again was unbearable. _

"_Dwight, there's no hope for me," John managed to say in whispers as he eyed his brother. He was so weak that he was unable to even move his neck to look at Dwight directly._

_Dwight shook his head vehemently at what his brother was saying. It was too much. "No," he uttered through tears. "Don't you fucking say that."_

"_This world is going to change you, Dwight," John breathed. Dwight saw as John's eyes glazed over as he didn't look like he was alive or even conscious._

"_John, stop!" Dwight urged for his own sake. "The world will go back to normal. You said so yourself."_

"_You need to be strong in this world. You need to protect what's yours," John instructed as his final words to his younger sibling that used to depend on him for almost everything. "If you don't, you'll have nothing to fight for. You'll be lost." His words became quieter with every sentence that he uttered._

"_John!" Dwight cried in a panic as his brother's head tilted downwards._

"_Don't let me become one of those things, Dwight!" John begged. "Please, just let me be with Mom and…" His voice died down as his chest failed to show signs of breathing. Dwight stayed still and just looked at his brother in complete shock. It was done. His brother left him. Never did he actually think he would see the day where his brother wouldn't be around to encourage and enlighten. He was alone. He was completely alone in the new world. _

_Dwight began to breakdown in sobs as he put one finger to his brother's beck to check for vitals. When a good five minutes passed where nothing happened, Dwight finally lost hope that his brother was ever coming back. The shock subsided where he could only feel pain. John was dead. He had no one._

_John's last words started playing in Dwight's head as he cried openly like a little kid who scraped his knee. _"You need to be strong in this world… Don't let me become one of those things," _Dwight gazed at his brother's dead body and looked to his brother's knife that rested in John's lifeless hand. Dwight pried it from John's grasp and placed the knife next to his brother's ear._

"_Be at peace, John," Dwight spoke softly. "Tell Mom and Dad that I miss them." With that, he shoved the knife into John's head._

_Dwight's tears were spent. For some reason, he couldn't cry after what he just did. Instead he felt a small bit of comfort. It didn't make him feel better but inside he knew that John was going to be okay. Things were better for John and he no longer had to suffer._

…

_He continued to play the words that his brother said in his mind while he walked around the forest. He didn't have a place to go or a purpose. He just roamed around while alone in his thoughts. Whenever he came across a walker, he would stab it multiple times out of anger for being in a godforsaken world. _

_Dwight had been like that for eight days. He wondered if he was the last person even alive. Near the last couple of days, he contemplated just walking towards a herd and letting them have at it. He didn't have a reason to live. Even though John said to protect what was his, he didn't have anything to protect or defend. There was no point. _

_When hope seemed lost, Dwight finally saw something glistening in the distance. It appeared to be a lake as Dwight thought it looked peaceful enough for his last days. The second he saw a walker, he was going to give up. Like his brother, he wanted to be with his parents as well. There was nothing that was holding him back from having such a reunion. He started walking faster towards the lake but paused when he saw something by the water's edge. Rather it wasn't something; it was _someone. _He stopped and started to load his crossbow as he assumed it was just another walker. However, when he remembered his ultimate plan to just commit suicide, he thought better of it. But as he looked back up, he noticed that it wasn't a walker. It was another human being that was alive and well. It was a woman._

_Dwight noticed that she was crying as she sat beside the lake on a rock. She appeared to be just as broken as Dwight was. Dwight couldn't avoid how nice she looked even when she sobbed to herself. She didn't even have an ugly cry that most girls did. After she cried for a little longer, she attempted to compose herself once more and get back to whatever business that she had going on. Dwight felt safe to approach her and maybe form some kind of truce with her as she seemed to be alone like he was. He started walking towards her quietly without scaring her. In one sudden movement, she pulled a large shotgun from what seemed out of nowhere and aimed it at Dwight. _Shit, _he thought._

_He stopped where he stood as she rose from her sitting area to show some intimidation. It worked. Dwight lowered his crossbow slowly to indicate that he didn't want to start something since she most definitely had the upper hand. He put his hands back up in the air. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" He whispered as his voice sounded hoarse to him. He realized that it was the first time that he spoke since his brother died. _

_She maintained her stance and continued to hold her gun up. Her gaze nearly pierced his soul as if she could burn a hole through him with her commanding stare._

"_I'm just passing through. I don't want any trouble," he said in as relaxed of a voice that he could muster. He couldn't think of a time that a gun was pointed straight to his chest. "Can you put your gun down?"_

"_Where are you headed?" The woman asked in a commanding voice that could have put her already threatening glare to shame. _

_He thought about her question and sighed in defeat. "I don't really have a destination in mind," he admitted. "I was with some friends of mine and none of them made it. I was kind of hoping that I would just stumble on another group. Maybe a safe zone if there is one." Dwight thought it good to not mention that he was going to end his life is she ended up being a walker. However, he was hoping that his brother was somewhere around to hear his last statement. He would have been proud to know that Dwight had a new fire that had sparked. With another person in the world, that meant anything optimal could happen._

_Her calloused stare started to collapse as she sympathized with what he said. She looked him up and down and Dwight could see pity behind her eyes. At that moment he felt that his emotions mirrored hers. He could feel that she felt the same remorse._

_She lowered her gun finally and strapped it to her back. The woman then pointed across the lake. "I have a group at that resort over there," she said in invitation. "Would you like to be with us for a bit?" Her voice was different then when she first opened her mouth. She sounded sweet and kind to Dwight._

_He smiled at her in relief. _You need to protect what's yours, _John's voice echoed in his mind. He didn't understand why his subconscious decided to repeat that line as he stared at the woman before him. Seeing that she was still waiting for an answer, Dwight dropped his hands and picked up his crossbow. "I would appreciate that. Thanks, miss," he said while waiting for her to say a name._

_She stepped towards him and took her hand out to shake his. "My name is Sherry."_

…

Dwight woke up on the couch with Dean staring directly at him. He figured that he must've drifted off sometime in the night as he noticed it was already morning time. Thankful for the opportunity to have some rest, he was sure that he would have been awake all night while his thoughts consumed him.

"Morning, son," Dean greeted as he looked to the bookcase with puzzlement then back to Dwight. "If I told you something strange, would you think I'm an odd person?"

Dwight shook his head as a smirk escaped. "I _already_ think you are odd."

Dean smiled at Dwight's comeback and peered at the bookcase again. "I can tell that you read from the Bible last night," he stated and took the holy book from the shelf.

"How did you know?" Dwight asked as his brows furrowed.

"I have made it my hobby to organize that bookcase," Dean explained. "Call it boredom, I guess. But when things have a certain place, I will notice it fairly quick." He sat down on the other side of the couch and started searching through the book's pages. "Did you find what you were looking for? For your peace and understanding?"

Dwight huffed in somewhat consternation. "All I got was that God has a brutal sense of humor," he admitted.

Dean was looking purposefully in the book and stopped at a page that Dwight could see was highlighted. "_If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness," _he quoted.

Dwight blinked several times at the words that Dean said. "You believe that?" He questioned the older man.

With a nod of affirmation, Dean looked to Dwight and placed a hand on top of his shoulder in support. "Son, I'm not dumb," he began. "I have seen the things that Negan has made you do. And the things you have done by your own accord. But son, both situations were justified. I don't think you will be held accountable for those lives that you took. You can always come back from those things."

_You need to protect what's yours, _John's voice echoed again. _If you don't, you'll have nothing to fight for. You'll be lost._

Dwight sighed. He didn't know if the thoughts that were forming in his head were straight from his brother but he knew that the timing of said messages was not just a coincidence. Dwight felt a strong need to be redeemed of what he did because Negan demanded it. The only way that he could stop himself from becoming Negan before it was too late was to leave. He had to leave. Not just for himself but he had to protect what was his. The only thing that he took ownership in was his new family. They were the only people he cared about since his family from growing up was taken. Sherry was his family. Jason was his family. If he didn't see that they were safe, he truly had nothing to fight for. He would become Negan.

"We are going to leave Sanctuary," Dwight declared with conviction. Dean stared at him in question as Dwight met his gaze. "Tonight."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Sherry was still handcuffed to Negan's bed post. He kept his distance during the night for which she was thankful. Morning came as Negan prepared for the day. Sherry pretended to be asleep to avoid conversation as he stepped into the bathroom and turned the shower on. She kept her eyes closed but could tell that the door was open because of the light switch. Negan whistled a tune while she could hear his clothes drop to the tile as she could feel her ears getting warm. She was only eyelids away from seeing him nude but she refused to look and nor was she tempted.

He finally finished getting ready and kissed her shoulder tenderly before he walked out the door as Sherry felt safer getting some rest with the time that she had to stay in bed. With sheer exhaustion, she finally fell asleep knowing he was a distance away to affect her.

She didn't even blink throughout the night for fear of having her guard down. The room across the hallway wasn't that well protected from him either but she felt security with their separation. That safety was stripped away when he proposed the idea of them sleeping in the same bed. With her handcuffs, she wouldn't have been able to do much to fight him off if he went back on his promise.

There were days when Sherry wanted a mattress during their times on the road. She regretted ever wishing for one and would have rather slept on the forest floor instead.

What only felt like seconds later, she heard the bedroom door open wide. Sherry heard slow footsteps stepping towards her as she gasped and sat up straight, confused as to what was going on. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to what was happening but relaxed when it was only Yolanda.

"How are you feeling, honey?" Yolanda asked as she sat at the foot of the bed.

"My head hurts," Sherry admitted as all the pain rushed to her face. "And I'm a little tired."

Yolanda quickly produced aspirin and the numbing cream for Sherry. She helped her out of the handcuffs and tended to her with the cream in a very maternal way. When Yolanda touched her face, Sherry winced as tears sprung from the sting. She almost wished that her nose would have fallen off sometime during the night.

"Oh, you poor thing," Yolanda commented.

"You should see the other guy," Sherry replied without thinking and shuddered when remembering that the other guy was long gone.

Yolanda picked up on her body language as she stiffened at the memory. "It wasn't your fault," she encouraged.

"It wasn't Dwight's fault either," Sherry defended. "That bastard brought it upon himself."

Yolanda nodded in agreement. "And don't you forget that," she said in a final tone regarding the subject. "Speaking of Dwight, he wanted me to tell you something."

Sherry looked at Yolanda and saw her mood change. "What is it?" She asked.

"We're leaving Sanctuary," Yolanda revealed. "Tonight."

Sherry felt elated but couldn't fathom how that was to pan out; especially with Negan in the way.

"Dwight didn't tell you this part. This is from me," Yolanda explained further. "I cleaned the kitchen already while you were sleeping." Sherry was confused as she thought she only had a few seconds of sleep. Yolanda seemed to read her mind. "I let you sleep in for a couple of hours. Listen, I saw the gratuitous alcohol stash. Dwight thought there could be a way that you could knock him out in his sleep but I think that would be too risky. You following me so far?"

"You want me to get Negan drunk tonight," Sherry said having no problem connecting the two points that Yolanda brought up knowing she didn't mention the alcohol for any other reason.

Yolanda nodded. "You think you can do that?" She questioned.

Sherry echoed her nod with affirmation. "Remember that night that he came back drunk?" Sherry asked. "After he sent for Terri, he passed out. Didn't even wake up for anything."

With a slight grin, Yolanda took a deep breath. "Then it's settled. We'll leave tonight."

"Did Dwight say why we are leaving so soon and not waiting until Negan is gone?" Sherry inquired.

"No," Yolanda answered. "I think from the events of last night that he is just tired of being the person that he's forced to be here. Can you blame him?"

"Absolutely not," Sherry agreed.

Yolanda stared at Sherry deep in thought. "What if this plan fails? What if they catch us?" She asked.

Sherry gazed at Yolanda and reached for her hand in comfort. "They won't," she muttered. "And if they do, then I guess that we'll just try again."

Tears started rolling down Yolanda's eyes. "What will they do to us if we get caught?" She pondered with fear. "I don't want Jenna to endure the hell of this place."

Sherry's heart sank at the thought. There were many risks to consider for what they had planned. What would happen to the children if they were to be caught? What if they couldn't find food or shelter once they were free? What if the dead sealed their fate? How many more people would Dwight kill if they stayed in Sanctuary? Could the children possibly grow to be decent people in Sanctuary? There were too many things to consider when thinking about staying or leaving. Yet, something in her heart knew that they had to at least try.

"We'll make sure that they will be okay, Yolie," Sherry promised. She knew that there would be a positive outcome throughout all of their efforts. There had to be.

…

The sun started to set as Dwight walked to Jason and Terri's house after his shift ended at the gates. As he made his way into Sanctuary, he subtly looked towards the library and saw the shrubbery that stood between the building and the fence. That was their way out. Anxiety threatened to take over the more that he thought about it so he focused his mind on something else. No matter how difficult it would be, they had to at least try and escape. Dwight felt it was his personal humanity on the line if he at least didn't try.

Once he made it to Jason and Terri's house, he saw Teegan and Troy throwing a baseball back and forth to each other in the front yard. "Catch!" Teegan shouted to Dwight once he saw him enter the yard. He threw the ball to Dwight who caught it with ease and then tossed it to Troy who missed then ran to pick it up from the ground.

"Your mom and dad home?" Dwight asked as he stepped onto the front porch.

Teegan nodded. "They are in their room," Teegan replied as he covered his mouth partially then whispered the next part. "Packing." Dwight saluted to Teegan then knocked on the door gently and let himself in when he heard a quiet "come in" on the other side. Dwight took the stairs up to the second floor by two's and saw Terri and Jason in their room packing their things like Teegan said they would be doing.

Jason smiled in Dwight's direction. "This is the day," he said as stuffed an extra pair of clothes in his backpack. Terri had two small backpacks for her sons and was doing the same for them.

"Yeah," Dwight muttered and glanced around the room but couldn't think of what he should say for small talk. He had something particular on his mind that needed to be addressed before their trip. An alternative plan if the worst case scenario played out.

"What's wrong?" Terri asked while sitting down on her bed and noticing that Dwight looked somewhat forlorn.

Dwight gave a quick gaze to both of them then stared down at the floor. "A lot of things could go wrong tonight," he began. "I feel guilty for not having a plan after we leave Sanctuary."

"We don't need one," Jason assured with confidence. "We'll just travel like we did before we ran into the Saviors."

"Yeah, but if something were to happen tonight, I think we need to formulate other options," Dwight finally said. All day he considered another idea that he would only tell few of their group members. He knew Sherry in particular wouldn't go for it. He could trust Jason and Terri.

"By your tone, I would think you already have something up your sleeve," Terri concluded.

Dwight nodded. "It won't be well liked by a lot in our group but it's the only that at least some of us come out with a happy ending."

Jason sat down and looked to Terri. They could tell that what they were about to hear was important for what was going to happen later in the night. "Just tell us what your plan is and we'll try to follow through with it," Terri encouraged.

…

"Back to the wine cooler already?" Negan asked while looking at Sherry who sat on the living room couch with her feet propped on the coffee table. "I know you said that you liked your intoxicants but two nights in a row?"

"You were out like a light last night." Sherry reasoned while trying to choose her words carefully. "This is for your benefit, really. With my nose the way it is, I imagine that I snore like no other."

Negan sat down beside her and placed his alcoholic beverage of choice and hers on the table as well as some glassware. "Come to think of it, I didn't hear you snore once last night so this might not be a bad idea." He said and started to pour himself some tequila in a shot glass.

Sherry didn't want to come off as suspicious that she wasn't going to be drinking as much as she wanted him to so she tried to devise a plan. She needed him to consume more without it looking peculiar. After all, she was the one who had suggested drinking in the first place.

"Let's play a game," Sherry said as she thought out loud. Negan gave her a look as he scrunched his forehead in almost confusion. "Make this a little more interesting."

Negan flashed her a one-sided dimple grin. "A woman after my own heart. What kind of game are you thinking?" He asked.

Sherry shrugged wondering why she even brought it up. "Well… I did hear a rumor that you are pretty good at ping pong. Think we could make a ping pong table with the dining room table?" She asked and looked to the large table nearby.

Negan strained to look at the table in the dining room and nodded his consent. "Yeah, that should work just fine." He said and looked to her. "You suggesting what I think you are suggesting?"

"If you're thinking beer pong than that is correct." She affirmed as she got up from the couch and started walking into the dining room. Negan stood up and walked into the kitchen to grab more shot glasses for their game. Sherry decided to help as he handed her ten glasses for her side. She carefully walked into the dining room and placed them where they needed to be. "Let's do our desired drink on our side. I'll do wine," Sherry said as she began to fill her glasses.

He watched her as he stepped over to his side and rolled his eyes. "That's a weak drink, don't you think?" He asked.

"I want to sleep soundly tonight and not ride the porcelain bus. I do not handle alcohol as well as others do, I promise." Sherry explained in a cool manner. _Reasonable enough, _she thought.

"Well, I'm going to do Tequila." He muttered and poured his shot glasses to the brim. She smiled in spite of herself because those portions would make anyone pass out in a drunken stupor.

"Rock, paper, scissors?" He suggested as he finished pouring his last cup.

"Do you play shoot?" She asked.

He nodded as they both put their hands forward. "Ready?" He asked. She nodded in return. "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" He said while he landed with paper and she with scissors.

"We could do best two out of three?" She offered slyly and found herself smiling. Negan looked up to her and smirked in response.

"Alright, rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" He repeated as Sherry landed with paper and he landed with rock. He went to his bookcase with a lingering grin and produced several ping pong balls that sat in front of a couple of dictionaries. He gave one to Sherry and winked. "You do the honors."

"Any house rules that I should know about?" She inquired as she took the ball from his hand.

"I could suggest that we play it with a stripping rule but you are too much of a prude for that." He said as he stepped over to his side.

"Well, you're most certainly right about that," She said while taking her side and taking aim at his shot glasses. Sherry gently bounced it on the table as she knew the ping pong didn't need be so forceful when they were using smaller shot glasses as they game usually called for plastic cups. Unfortunately, they didn't have that option and could only work with what they had. However, she successfully made it in one of the shot glasses on the second row. Negan whistled in admiration and quickly took his first swig of Tequila then put the glass to the side.

"You a virgin?" He asked as she readied another ball. She threw it as it landed in one on the back row.

"No, I am not." Sherry answered honestly.

"You aren't going to ask me the same question?" He asked as he took another drink.

She already knew the answer but humored him anyway. "Are you a virgin?" She asked while throwing another ball. It missed.

He shook his head with pride. "Lost it a long time ago." He replied and collected the ping pong balls then aimed one towards her glasses. "But with time comes a lot of experience. Not one to brag but you are missing out." He added as he threw one to her side. It landed in the front glass. Sherry immediately took the cup and drank it while rolling her eyes at his statement.

"Yeah, okay." She muttered to herself as he chuckled.

They played mostly in silence while each concentrating on wining. Sherry was naturally competitive and really wanted to beat Negan at something. She had already known Negan to be a sore loser so she was treading on thin ground. As more time passed, Sherry felt dismayed at Negan's demeanor. He looked like he had a bit too much to drink but she didn't feel like she could so easily step outside the front door without him making a scene. She tried to think of a plan that would get him to drink more once the game was finished. She dreaded even thinking about it but it was an alternate if beer pong failed. Although she didn't expect him to handle ten shots of tequila so well.

He had two shots left on his side while she had four glasses full of wine left. She was already feeling slightly buzzed and could only imagine how wasted she would have been if she had used his choice of alcohol. Sherry knew that she shouldn't drink anymore if she needed to stay alert for the rest of the night. For her group, she needed to stop beer pong and go to the alternate plan. Even if it meant lowering herself to another level.

"For every piece of clothing that I take off, you take a drink from the bottle." She sputtered out in a distant voice. She couldn't even look at him when she said it. Instead, she looked down in shame.

Sherry heard him laugh darkly. "You finally giving into my invitation?" He inquired as she watched him get closer to her from the corner of her eye.

"Nothing too crazy tonight," Sherry reiterated calmly as she took the chance to look at him. "You get your fair share of fun and I don't have to about you staying up because of my broken nose. It's a win-win for everyone." She shouldered past him and walked up the stairs. The words that came out of her mouth didn't even sound like her. She hoped beyond hope that Negan would pass out before she did anything that she would regret later. It was unlike her to do something so promiscuous for the sake of deception. Yet, she had to think of her group who were probably waiting on her to meet up with them.

He followed her with a bottle of Cuervo. They walked into the bedroom as she looked at her surroundings and took a deep breath. _This is for the group, _she thought. _Once he's unconscious, we can leave and never look back._

"Sit on the bed and stay there," Sherry instructed sternly. _What if this doesn't work? What if he's still fully conscious by the time my clothes are all gone?  
_

Negan waltzed over to the bed and sat down as rested the bottle on his thigh. "Am I allowed to touch you?" He asked almost impatiently.

Sherry shook her head. "No," she said while observing that his eyes were glazed over slightly. It made her feel slightly better as the alcohol probably helped mask how much she was shaking with terror. "I'm counting my ponytail as a piece of clothing. I'll start with that." Sherry said.

Negan scoffed. "I guess I should be glad that you aren't much of a jewelry person." He commented as he took the bottle to his mouth. Her hair fell down past her shoulders.

"How could you tell that I wasn't a jewelry person?" She questioned.

"You don't wear a lot of jewelry." He countered back with a teasing smile.

"I guess that should have been obvious." She mumbled to herself as she removed her blue plaid shirt. She was thankful that she liked layers because she had two other shirts underneath the item that she just threw to the floor.

He took another drink as she took off her gray shirt. His eyes started to roll to the back of his head and he shook his head in protest. "Fucking slow down, girl. You are making me down a lot of liquor in a short amount of time." He griped.

"I thought you could handle it," Sherry criticized in a mocking way as Negan raised her eyebrows. She only had her black tank top and bra underneath her shirt that she threw to the ground. Deciding to focus on her lower half, she sat down on the chair beside the master bathroom and started to remove her shoes. "Each shoe is a drink." She instructed.

Negan obliged with her command. "Are your socks the same rule too?" He asked while his words slurred together.

"What do you think?" She retorted. Sherry didn't understand as he already had so much to drink. He had to feel something. Anything!

"Relentless bitch," was all he said but didn't break her rules and simply abided by them. Sherry then quickly unbuttoned her jeans while her heart was racing a mile a minute.

"One more drink for you," she stammered out but then saw the look on his face when she bent down to shimmy out of her pants. She ignored it as he took another swig while she stood in front of him with only three items of clothing left. She closed her eyes and reached for her black tank top then pulled it over her head.

Negan looked at her expectantly and stood up from the bed. She panicked and immediately covered her chest with her arms. He zig zagged over to her slowly as she back away. "Let me take your bra off for you," Negan offered.

Sherry shook her head. "That isn't part of the rule." She said while the power in her voice started to wane. "Sit back down on the bed."

"I don't want to." Negan argued in his drunken state. "You know you would have a good time with me. Aren't you having fun now?"

"Not anymore," Sherry tried to say in a teasing manner but all jokes were gone from her as red alerts started going off in her head. The alarms were almost deafening as he grabbed her by her bare waist with both hands and held her to his own body. "Negan!" She yelled as he took one hand and reached for her bra strap. She tried to move out of his grasp but he was a lot stronger than she was. She had to think of something quick before he crossed the line.

"Let's lay down on the bed. It'll be cozier," she suggested. Even to Sherry, her voice sounded unconvincing but Negan grunted in response as he guided her towards the bed without question.

She pushed him onto the bed as he pulled her to be on top of him. In one instant before she could react, he quickly reached for her bra clasp behind her and pinched it open. Her bra fell off slightly as he smiled at her smugly. "Told you I was experienced," he bragged.

His head hit the pillow as the weight of all the alcohol started to consume any other thought process. She used the opportunity to crawl away from him. "I need to brush my teeth," Sherry said as an excuse. "I'll be right back." He tried to fight her but his moves were slow so she was able to get to the bathroom without any struggle. She walked towards the bathroom sink and counted to thirty. By the time she made it to twenty-two seconds, Sherry started to hear heavy breathing from the bedroom.

Sherry closed her eyes as tears sprung loose. The hope that he would pass out once in bed proved to be true. She only had her underwear on and couldn't imagine what could have happened had he not slipped into unconsciousness.

The tears fell freely as she quickly collected all of her clothes on the floor. She hurriedly got dressed and then grabbed for her handcuffs that were on the nightstand. She walked up to Negan's sleeping figure on the bed and attached one cuff to the bedpost and slowly reached for his hand. He stirred a little bit as her heart nearly stopped from the tension that she felt. Fortunately, he fell back into slumber. Without hesitation, she quickly cuffed his hand and ran out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

She opened the front door and looked to see if anyone was around. When she saw no one, she ran towards the fence then bolted towards Dwight's house.

_Don't look back, _Sherry thought. _Keep going._

…

Dean got all of the weapons that they had collected from the building beside the court house earlier that night with Takuya and Jason. With everything that they needed on their backs, all they had to do was wait for Sherry. Dwight paced back and forth on his porch while the rest of the group sat quietly and watched the road.

"She will be here, Dwight." Yolanda said while trying to spew confidence but her voice appeared more worried.

"What if something happened to her?" Dwight asked almost angrily. He didn't intend for his tone to sound so brutal but he felt as if he could jump out of his skin from being as worried as he was. Sherry escaping Negan's house was probably the most dangerous thing that they would do that whole night. And whether or not she made it out meant that their plan could even take place.

Just then, they heard the fence open in the darkness as they all turned to see the source. It was Sherry who appeared out of breath and on an adrenaline high. "Are you guys ready to go?" She whispered enthusiastically as they all joined her in the front lawn.

"Yes, ma'am, we are!" Dean said proudly as he handed her a gun. "Nice work!"

"We have to most fast!" Sherry stressed. "We don't know how much time we have."

Dwight walked up to her and gently reached for her arm as she jumped slightly from his touch. Even in the dark he could see the alarm in her eyes. He instantly let go of her and looked to her with concern. "What happened?" He asked.

For a brief second, Sherry's eyes widened in fright at his question but she quickly masked it with a smile. "Nothing." She answered but Dwight knew Sherry well enough when she wasn't telling him everything.

Dwight understood that it wasn't the right time to dwell on the subject but hoped that she would talk about it to him later. "You're alright though, right?" He asked.

She looked anything but alright but kept her composure. "I have never been better," Sherry lied but it was covered up by genuine relief. "We're leaving this place tonight."

Dwight nodded with a warm smile then looked to everyone. "Jason and I are going to take out the guys on the building next to the school. In small groups, crawl into the shrubs that are in between the school and the gate. Dean, I want you and Sherry to be in the first group so you can start cutting the fence up with the wire cutter. Terri and the boys will be second. Takuya, Yolanda, and Jenna will be third. You guys have to be quiet." Dwight said as he bent down to address the younger kids. "As quiet as a mouse." They all nodded to him quickly but still looked petrified.

Jason shrugged and looked to Dwight. "Alright. Let's go take out our guys," He addressed. He then bent down to give both of his sons a bear hug. He stood tall and held Terri in a warm embrace. They exchanged their "I Love you's" as they parted while Jason walked out onto the sidewalk. Dwight subtly reached for Sherry's hand and squeezed it tightly but then released as he caught up with Jason.

Sherry gulped down a lump in her throat that was starting to form while she watched Dwight walk away. She shook it off then looked to Dean. "Give them a three minute head start." She advised and looked to him. "You ready for this?"

He nodded with a grin. "I'm very much ready for this." He replied.

Sherry gazed at Dwight in the distance and sighed. "Me too."

…

Jason and Dwight slowly walked up to the building while trying not to look inconspicuous. They assumed that if they appeared like they had intent to gun someone down, that it would look slightly off. They quietly opened the door to the stairwell and started making their way to the rooftop. Dwight wasn't sure how many people were on the roof. He had hoped that it would be less than five. He was glad that Dean found a few silencers in the supply building that they could use. It gave them the advantage but Dwight wondered if what they were doing was a suicide mission anyways. If that were the case, he swallowed his fears and knew that it would still give Sherry and the group plenty of time to escape. To him, that made it all worth it.

They reached the rooftop door and looked to each other with their game faces on. "I'll take the men on the right, you take the men out on the left." Jason suggested.

Dwight gave a slight nod and stood ready as Jason put his hand on the doorknob. He let out a quiet sigh and quickly opened the door. They both stood ready but looked at the rooftop in surprise. There was only one man on the roof. Hansen sat alone on a lawn chair and looked towards them with curiosity. "I didn't know that you two were s'pposed to be here tonight." He said with a beer in hand. He held it up but then took another drink.

Jason looked to Dwight in puzzlement. "We weren't. Where are the other men?" He questioned.

"They are at the bar." Hansen replied. "Work was slow so they decided to take a break for the rest of the night." Hansen then saw their guns and looked at them with mild humor in his eyes. "You guys come to take me out?"

"We're sorry, Hansen. It isn't personal." Dwight said while willing to gun the man down if necessary. Jason gave him the side eye while knowing that he himself felt uncomfortable taking the older man's life.

Hansen pursed his lips then nodded. "Tell you what… You guys do whatever you were planning on doing but just knock me out. I won't rat on you. You guys probably have a good reason on doing what you are about to do. If I am unconscious, I won't be the one in trouble. The fuckers at the bar will be. This way we both come out on top." Hansen reasoned logically.

Dwight and Jason looked to each other and shrugged. The idea wasn't bad and Dwight trusted him oddly enough. "You could always come with us," Jason invited.

Hansen shook his head. "I'm an old veteran with a hip problem. If you guys are leaving, you guys need to create as much distance to this place as you can. I'll only slow you down." He looked to Dwight. "You gonna knock me out or what, son?"

Dwight quickly stepped towards him. "This isn't personal," Dwight repeated with remorse then hit Hansen with the back of his gun.

"That was easier than I thought," Jason remarked with optimism.

"Don't jinx it, man," Dwight said grimly as they both headed towards the stairs.

…

Dean and Sherry worked furiously to cut the fence with haste. It didn't take too long and by the time Terri and the kids were there, they were already finished. They waited for the rest of their group as they started killing more walker heads that were perched on the gate.

"Did you hear anything from the roof? Gunshots?" Terri asked as Yolanda and Jenna crawled into the shrubbery behind them in the small space.

"No," Sherry replied. "Give them a few more minutes."

They didn't even have to wait that long as they heard footsteps run towards them with urgency. Jason and Dwight crawled into the bushes with triumphant smiles. Sherry wanted to join in their confident attitudes but still being in Sanctuary made her think the victory was too premature.

"Are you okay?" Terri asked while looking to her husband with concern. "What happened?"

Jason grinned. "Absolutely nothing. The guys that were supposed to be on guard went on a drinking break for the rest of the night. We lucked out!" He assured as his two sons hugged him tightly.

Sherry and Dwight made eye contact and smiled at each other. Things were starting to look optimal. "Jason, you and your family go first. Yolanda and Jenna second." Sherry instructed.

"You third then," Dwight chimed in as he crawled beside her.

Sherry looked to him with a knowing glance. "It doesn't matter at this point. I just want all the kids to be out of here first." She reasoned.

He grinned back and kissed her temple. "We're doing this." He said in whispered excitement.

Jason clambered out of the small opening in the fence and breathed a sigh of relief. "I made it!" He said quietly. "Troy, it's your turn now."

Troy looked to the fence made of exposed walkers and whispered back to his father. "Are there biters over there, Dad?" He asked with hesitation.

"No, son, no biters over here. Come on out," Jason encouraged warmly.

Troy crawled out and was then followed by Teegan and Terri. Yolanda and Jenna quickly made their way out of the small crawl space. Sherry told Dean that it was his turn and he quickly made his way over to the other side where freedom was. Takuya followed soon after.

"Ladies first," Dwight said as he nodded to the opening.

Sherry smiled and kissed him swiftly on the lips. "You better be right behind me." She said worriedly.

"Always," Dwight replied and kissed her back.

With that, she crawled to the other side of the fence while Dwight followed behind. Sherry and the group all looked to each with sweet relief. They had all made it to the other side of the gate. The reward of finally making it out unnoticed started to quickly turn into adrenaline as they all had to focus on the next task; running.

"Everyone follow close behind me and Sherry," Dwight advised. "We have a long night ahead of us!"

Dwight took Sherry's hand as they all started to run. With every step came a new hope for Sherry. She was finally free to live her life the way that she wanted. Life was short. Especially in their new world. With Dwight by her side, she intended to live it out as much as she could. As they created distance between Sanctuary, she couldn't have been happier.

…

Their happiness soon dwindled away as their group came upon a small herd of walkers in the darkness. Worried that they were still too close to Sanctuary, they got their knives out instead of their guns so as not to make a ruckus. The group fought in a circle back to back as the children stayed in the middle with their mouths covered by their own hands to prevent themselves from screaming. The small herd soon turned into twenty walkers that Sherry could quickly count but had been manageable with their combined teamwork.

One walker fell over as Jason disposed of him and nearly landed in the middle of the circle on top of Jenna. Jenna jumped backwards as she accidentally ran into Yolanda who fell onto her stomach. Another walker instantly attempted to go in for the kill but was foiled by Takuya who stabbed it in the brain before he could sink his teeth into the unknowing Yolanda.

Dwight killed the last walker as Sherry pushed it away. They turned around to see that they were successful while everyone cheered at their own personal victory.

Dean went to help Yolanda from the forest floor but she abruptly yelled in pain. They all stared at her with concern. "What's wrong?" Terri inquired as she kneeled down in front of Yolanda.

Yolanda gritted her teeth together. "My ankle… I think I broke it. It happened when I…" She started to say but was cut off by the sound of gunshots in the distance. They all looked towards Sanctuary in dread as Sherry had a sinking feeling that it wasn't just some random guns going off in the middle of the night. "Oh, God." She muttered to herself then glanced to Dwight with apprehension.

Dwight looked back to Sherry with shared panic and then to the rest of the group. They all remained quiet until they heard even more gunshots go off. They didn't need to say anything to know that Sanctuary was restless and wanting blood. The Saviors were on the hunt for them under Negan's command.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Shit," Dwight muttered as he heard more gunshots sound off. He leaned down to Yolanda and started to pick her up. "Jason! Come help me out!"

Jason obliged to the request and lifted her up as she leaned in between both of them for support. Terri wanted to get a closer look at her ankle but Yolanda shook her head violently. "No! We need to just keep going! We'll check it later!"

Terri looked to Jason and reluctantly stood back up. They started inching slowly away from Sanctuary on their guard for more walkers. "We'll stay away from the roads," Takuya said out loud for everyone to hear. "We have the advantage of the night!"

"They have trackers!" Dwight hissed angrily. "It won't take too long for them to be on our trail if they aren't already!"

Sherry led the way but looked behind at her group and their slow pace. They practically carried Yolanda but even then still weren't the fastest. On top of that, they were vastly outnumbered and once they were caught, they would be taken back to Sanctuary in no time. All the hope that she had felt with her group escaping had dwindled into nothing.

They travelled for a mile more when they could hear trucks from Sanctuary out and about from nearby roads. It was only a matter of time that they would have been cornered. Dwight and Jason were slowing down becoming exhausted in holding Yolanda for as long as they did.

Dwight held his face down in defeat as he could hear the cars get closer. He had to act on his own "Plan B" that he had planned and he had to do it soon. "Jason," Dwight urged and looked to Jason knowingly. "It's time."

Jason looked to everyone and couldn't help but curse under his breath at the devastation that would no doubt ensue. "All the women and children come with me! We are going to go on." Jason announced.

Sherry's eyes widened as she looked to Dwight and then back to Jason. "What?! What's going on?" She asked in a panic.

Dwight couldn't keep eye contact with her as he stared down at the ground. "You go on without us. I think if Negan sees us that he won't bother searching for anyone else. We'll just say that you got attacked by walkers." Dwight reasoned.

Sherry shook her head and stood firmly while folding her arms. "No," she started. "I'm not going anywhere without you."

Dwight closed the distance between them with instant worry on his face. He grabbed her upper arms gently with pleading eyes. "Sher, be reasonable. You have to get out of Sanctuary!" He contended. "Please understand!"

"I can't leave you!" Sherry cried. "If I'm not in Sanctuary, you guys will be dead! I can't do that!"

Dwight's gaze softened at her concern for him. "Don't worry about us! I already talked to Takuya and Dean." He explained.

"I would be honored to die tonight if it meant that the children could get out of Sanctuary!" Dean stated boldly with pride.

"I felt bad for leaving Haruki anyways," Takuya admitted. "He might be enduring the same punishment now, thanks to us."

Sherry shook her head again. "Well, I'm not going." She said firmly.

Dwight grumbled something under his breath but brought her into a tight hug. "Sherry, please go," he whispered in her ear. "I can't stand to see you in Sanctuary one more day."

Tears sprung from her eyes as she held him close. "And I don't want you to die." Sherry sobbed into his shoulder.

Yolanda rested her head on a tree trunk and motioned for Jenna to come towards her. Jenna quickly rushed to her side as Yolanda started to whisper in her ear. After a couple of seconds, Jenna pulled back and started to cry. "No!" She shrieked as she covered her mouth.

"If you guys even have a chance to get away, you need to be fast!" Yolanda said to Jenna and the whole group. "I won't be able to make the trip with you. I'll be fine."

Jenna looked to Sherry desperately. "But you'll die if Sherry isn't Sanctuary." Jenna wailed in between cries.

Sherry gazed at Dwight and started crying more. "Please don't make me go! You can't put that guilt on my shoulders! Why don't you go and I'll stay with everyone?" She suggested knowing it was just as important that Dwight left Sanctuary as it was slowly killing him inside.

They heard voices yelling in the far distance as Jason groaned in anxiety. "Fuck!" He whispered. "Listen, I want my family out of here. We are leaving now! Who's coming with us?"

"Take Jenna with you!" Yolanda pleaded and embraced her daughter one last time as Jenna cried into her shoulder. Yolanda started to weep as the realization sunk in that she was going to say goodbye for probably the last time. "I have to stay."

Dwight's head was bowed as he deliberated to himself. Sherry made eye contact with him and hugged him tighter. "Dwight, I'm staying. I'm sorry but this is my choice." Sherry said while her voice broke. The thought of returning to Sanctuary made her want shout with enmity. Yet she couldn't have her family be killed while she ran away from Negan. She refused to leave them behind.

Knowing that her decision had been made, Dwight kissed Sherry on the lips with sweet tenderness. He quickly broke it apart as he looked her in the eyes. "I promised to make things better for you. You are making me a liar." Dwight complained slightly as he tried to hide the pain that he felt.

Sherry shook her head. "You tried," She comforted. "This wasn't your call. It was mine." She then walked over to Jenna and hugged her close. "Your mom will be okay with me. I'll make sure of it."

Jenna embraced her in return with silent gratitude. Sherry gave a quick hug to everyone in Jason's family hoping that they would find a real sanctuary somewhere else. The others that were staying behind did the same. Terri's farewell with Sherry made her the most tearful as she had bonded with the woman so much in the last seven months. Teegan and Troy had tears rolling down their cheeks while Jason appeared to be on the verge of an emotional breakdown himself. Yet he had to keep himself together as they were still in terrible danger.

Once the goodbyes were all quickly said, Jason looked to everyone in his family and Jenna with a nod. "We need to leave now," he stressed as he started backing away from the group that was staying behind.

Dwight still held Sherry's hand as he started walking away from Jason's group as well. "We'll walk towards Negan's men to create more distance." Dwight said to him. "Be safe out there."

Jason nodded in thankfulness. "We'll see you guys again someday." He declared hopefully. "In this life or the next."

With that, they were on their way. Dwight and his group turned back around and headed towards the Saviors. Dwight and Sherry helped Yolanda along so she would travel a little faster for Jason's family's sake.

"What's life going to be like when we get back in those gates?" Yolanda asked no one in particular as her voice carried some anguish within it. Sherry could faintly see flashlights up ahead of them. Throughout the whole entire day, she experienced a roller coaster of emotions. She had felt sheer terror while trying to deal with Negan and keep him out of the way. She felt pure joy when Dwight crawled out of the fence behind her. She even felt pride when she was able to kill walkers once more. All of the emotions could no longer be contained with what she felt now. She was beyond dispirited knowing that she would have to return to live with Negan.

She then imagined what their life would have been like if they all successfully made it away from Sanctuary. Maybe they would find a secure home where others lived. Children could roam around with no fear. Community members would have taken care of each other. She hoped that they could have found a real safe place if they had escaped. It would have been far from a true reality but she hoped that she could share a home with Dwight. One where she could cook and garden like she would have done in the world that seemed centuries ago. All she wanted was a normal life.

The flashlights got closer as they walked towards the light. She didn't know what life was going to be like when they got back into Sanctuary. She could imagine that Negan wasn't going to be too happy with her true intentions of getting him drunk. She had seen him unhappy before and it always ended up with someone dead.

"'A hero is somebody who voluntarily walks into the unknown.'" Dean quoted as he looked to Sherry. She couldn't help but feel an emotional tug at his words while the tears rolled down her cheeks.

The flashlights steadied on all of them as they could finally see the men that were in the search party. "We found them!" Someone yelled.

Sherry closed her eyes and just released all of the grief that had been building up in the last several months. Yolanda was crying beside her as well. One by one, they were all handcuffed as each of them were dragged away from each other.

"Please, be careful with her!" Sherry yelled towards a Savior who was pushing Yolanda around. "She broke her ankle!" The Savior didn't pay her plea any mind as he continued with his business while Yolanda shouted in obvious pain.

They were all dragged back towards Sanctuary as Sherry could sense someone staring at her. She turned to see Dwight watching her with worry and never took his eyes off of her for the whole entire trip back to the gates. With one look, she could feel both fear and comfort within the same gaze. Whatever the future held for them, they were together. _Together as we'll ever be._

…

_The group found an empty pharmacy that they took shelter in for the night. Dwight was exhausted. They hadn't found a decent place to sleep in weeks. He started losing track of time altogether. Had weeks, months, or years passed, he would have never known._

_He glanced to the rest of his group. Everyone appeared as if they hadn't slept or eaten in ages. He was especially worried about Sherry. Ever since she had to leave her belongings behind that included her cell phone, something was off about her countenance. She was like the Sherry that he first met and was distant from everyone. Dwight couldn't pretend that her cold attitude towards everybody didn't hurt. They were beginning to have something together that took away from the pain that he felt with their new world. Sherry distancing herself from him didn't make it easy on him._

_Dwight didn't know what he had done wrong but wished that he could do whatever needed to be done to have her smile in his direction once more. He concluded that she probably just needed space and time to work out a few things. He understood that but still wanted to be a person that she could confide in._

"_Look what I found!" Dean said while breaking Dwight's thoughts away. The older man held up a guitar case and beamed in delight. "Anyone know how to play?"_

_Everyone stayed silent as they looked to Dean with blank stares. They all knew that he was only trying to lighten the mood for once. But the lack of food and morale was eating them up with what seemed too far beyond repair. Dwight felt impressed to take Dean's offer up as his musically inclined mother put him in guitar lessons a couple of years before she died. He stopped taking the lessons immediately after their car crash. It had been a long time since he picked a guitar up._

_Then Dwight looked to Sherry's face as she stared off into the distance while the sorrow lingered. He shook his head and gestured Dean to bring the guitar to him. "Hand it over, old man." He muttered as Dean looked over the moon that someone stepped up to the plate. He didn't know where to start with making Sherry happy but felt at a point that he would try anything to do so._

_Dean smiled a mile wide as Dwight started opening up the guitar case. "This place is secure enough. I think if you play quietly, we won't have to worry about the walkers." He ascertained._

_Dwight observed the guitar and nodded in approval. "Baby Taylor. Never owned one myself but always found myself playing it at Guitar Center whenever I went to mess around with all of their instruments." He commented while tuning the guitar by ear. "Any requests?" He asked._

_Already the mood seemed to lighten up as they all looked to each other and shrug. Sherry still appeared as if nothing was happening around her. "I almost forgot what music was," Hannah confessed. "I don't think I can remember names to songs if I tried."_

_Dwight smiled grimly. "You know, I have had this song stuck in my head almost since this entire thing happened. It isn't a cheerful melody but I think it's fitting with how we all feel. Anyone opposed to depressing music?" He asked._

_They all shook their heads in unison almost too tired to respond or care. Dwight figured he was heading in the right direction at boosting Sherry's mood as she was finally staring at him. He surmised that it was a positive step forward. Dwight finished tuning the guitar and strummed all the strings together. He was satisfied and then started playing around with the tune while trying to remember it. A minute later he nodded that he was ready._

_The music played as they all became lost in the music. Dwight couldn't believe how much he had missed music since the playlist on the iPod that Sherry took from the mansion had been abandoned. It was such an integral part of his life before._

"_Hang me, oh, hang me,_

_I'll be dead and gone._

_Hang me, oh, hang me,_

_I'll be dead and gone._

_I wouldn't mind the hanging_

_But the laying in the grave so long._

_Poor boy,_

_I've been all around this world._

_I been all around Cape Girardeau,_

_Parts of Arkansas._

_I been all around Cape Girardeau,_

_Parts of Arkansas._

_Got so goddamn hungry,_

_I could hide behind a straw,_

_Poor boy, _

_I've been all around this world._

_Went up on a mountain,_

_There I made my stand._

_Went up on a mountain,_

_There I made my stand._

_A rifle on my shoulder_

_And a dagger in my hand._

_Poor boy, _

_I've been all around this world._

_Hang me, oh, hang me,_

_I'll be dead and gone._

_Hang me, oh, hang me,_

_I'll be dead and gone._

_I wouldn't mind the hanging,_

_But the laying in the grave so long._

_Poor boy, _

_I've been all around this world._

_Put the rope around my neck,_

_Hung me up so high._

_Put the rope around my neck, _

_Hung me up so high._

_Last words I heard him say,_

'_Won't be long now_

'_Fore you die.'_

_Poor boy,_

_I've been all around this world._

_So hang me, oh, hang me,_

_I'll be dead and gone._

_Hang me, oh, hang me,_

_I'll be dead and gone._

_I wouldn't mind the hanging,_

_But the laying in the grave so long._

_Poor boy,_

_I've been all around this world."_

_Dwight finished and put the guitar back in its case. The group appeared somber but there was a different look as well. Hopeful didn't seem like the correct word to Dwight so he settled on content. They accepted that their lives weren't going to be the same again. Regardless if they were living an ideal life or not, they were still alive and able to fight for another day._

…

Sherry woke up on a floor in a white room. After they were captured by Saviors and taken back to Sanctuary, they were all knocked unconscious. She didn't know how long she had been out of it. She peered at her surroundings and saw the room had zero furniture. The tiles were white. The walls were white. There were no windows to let her know what time of day it was. There was only one door.

Sherry looked down to what she was wearing. She had been stripped down to a bra and underwear. She stood up feeling slightly violated and walked to the middle of the small room to try and figure out what her next move was. She then heard voices on the other side of the door but they didn't sound like anyone that she knew personally.

Sherry walked over to the door and tried the knob but wasn't surprised that it was locked. She started banging on it as hard as she could. "Hey!" She yelled. "Let me out!" The voices on the other side quieted down as she stopped hitting the door while trying to listen to what was going on. Seconds later, men slammed their fists on the other side of the door while mocking her pleas to be let out.

"Assholes," Sherry muttered to herself. She went to sit in the corner and waited for whatever her fate ended up being or until she thought of a plan to get out. Whichever one came first.

The doorknob made a sound as if someone was unlocking it. She stood up on edge while preparing herself for whoever appeared into view. The door opened as Negan stepped inside. Her whole heart filled with alarm as she saw what was leaning casually on his shoulder. She had never seen it before as it sent shivers down her spine. It was a baseball bat with barbed wire on the end of it. Sherry tried not to look as terrified as she was and instead looked at Negan with as much defiance as she could.

Negan saw the expression on her face and looked to the bat with clarity. "Relax, honey. I'm not going to use Lucille on you," Negan assured while Sherry looked to the bat that he nicknamed Lucille. "Someone is getting Lucille tonight though." He then placed the bat in the corner as he shut the door closed and clasped his hands together.

"You really screwed up this time." Negan scolded calmly as Sherry stood tall trying to be brave. "Not only were you unable to escape, you have broken my trust." He started walking closer to her as Sherry took a couple steps backwards to keep the distance between them. He smirked at her continuous spunk that she had given him but then quickly grabbed her shoulder and turned her around. Sherry protested as she tried to move away from his grasp but he dug his fingers into her skin and refused to let her go.

He violently guided her to the wall as her whole body was held against it. "We know one of you in your group planned this escape," Negan started behind her while pressing his body against hers. Sherry tried to ignore the fact that she barely had any clothes on. "We need to find out who. Everyone is being interrogated in different ways. So far, no results. What will we have to do to get you to talk?" Negan asked as he let her go. "Don't move!" He barked to Sherry. 

She could hear him playing with his belt buckle as she closed her eyes with dread. She shuddered visibly as she thought of the worst scenario coming to life. _Son of a bitch, _she thought. _I will kill him for this._

Sherry's fear of being sexually assaulted quickly turned into a sudden sharp pain on her back. She instantly screamed at the rapid pang that came but was put into shock as more twinges of pain sprouted up. With each whipping noise that Negan's belt made, the soreness that she felt increased exponentially. She only yelled once when the first whip made impact on her skin while she felt a determination to not give Negan the satisfaction. Instead she tried to remain silent as he continued to whip her back, legs, arms, and whatever else he could see.

Her legs started to shake as Negan slowed his pace with the belt. She had probably been whipped over fifty times but she followed through with her silent protest. Her body, however, was screaming bloody murder. The more that Negan took his time with making another strike, the more her body tensed with anticipation. Once he took another swing, her body felt passed the breaking point as each nerve was on high alert. It was becoming incredibly tiresome after a while. Deep down, she knew Negan wasn't near finished.

"I was going easy on you," Negan said with half enjoyment. "How about this?"

Her breath sharpened as she felt a metal sting on her back for the first time. Sherry could tell that he was using the buckle side of his belt on her. He used it countless times on already reddened skin as she could feel blood trickle down in multiple areas as he continued his tirade on her. He stopped for a couple of seconds as she panted deeply but still didn't scream. Then what felt like he was whipping her as fast as he could, she held her breath and fought back the tears while she willed herself to not breakdown.

She could hear him step closer to her as he made one final barbarous whip on the right side of her neck. With that, she finally let out a shriek of pain as he turned her around sharply and pressed her freshly wounded back against the wall. The cold wall provoked her newly opened marks which made her gasp in distress as she tried to move away from the wall on instinct. With all of his strength, he forced her on the wall again with both hands around her neck as he raised her effortlessly off the ground. Sherry could feel the blood slide against the wall as her bare feet dangled from the floor beneath her. Negan squeezed his palms and fingers around her throat while she started fighting for breath.

"You are one selfish bitch, you know that?" He began while Sherry could only see black in his eyes as his pupils were dilated. "I have given you shelter. I have given you food. A nice warm bed. You don't have to worry about anything! I haven't even fucked you yet and I still don't get a thank you. Instead you try and leave your good husband. If that doesn't sound bitchy, I don't know what does." He lectured as she continued to hang from off the floor. She could feel the consciousness leave her as she became more asphyxiated.

He let go of her neck as she fell limply to the floor. She breathed as much air as she could and started to cough while her lungs filled up with air too fast. He picked her up by the shoulders so she could stand once more. He put his forehead to hers while she attempted to fight him off of her once more. Tired of her antics, he backhanded her cheek and crashed her against the wall once more with his full force. Feeling completely disoriented, she stopped resisting as he again rested his forehead on hers.

"You will never do anything like that again, Sherry." He commanded her with a deep voice. "I keep on showing you what a good husband I am. I could fuck you right now and not lose any sleep over it. But I choose to give my wife the proper respect that she wants. I'm a good husband, aren't I?"

Out of fear of what he would do to her, she could only nod her head slowly in agreement. She avoided eye contact as she looked to the walls that seemed to close in on her.

"Next time that you do something stupid, I'll punish you far worse than this. You deserve to be punished more now. You were a bad girl yesterday but I love you. I hate to see you like this." Negan said in a suddenly calm voice as he grabbed her jaw and forced her to look at him. "Be a good girl and say that you love me too."

Sherry's body shook as she looked him in the eyes. She could see a mixture of both tenderness and greed. A sob broke from her lips as she furrowed her brows. She had no choice but to appease him in that moment. "I love you," She lied in a voice that sounded dry and calloused.

Negan smiled and kissed her on the lips with his tongue entering her mouth. She turned her head quickly in hopes that he would understand that she had had enough. Luckily, he relented and walked away while picking Lucille back up and opening the door. She could hear the sound of other members in her group screaming through the hallway and then looked to Negan in horror.

He grinned back to her and shrugged. "It sounds like my guys aren't finished yet. We'll get you sometime soon though. Don't worry about that." He said and closed the door while she was once again alone in complete physical and mental turmoil.

…

The Saviors removed a burlap sack from Dwight's head after escorting him into another room. Already they had removed his clothing except for his pair of boxers and beat him harshly. They asked him multiple times whose idea it was to escape Sanctuary. He had already explained that it was his plan the entire time but no one listened to him. He was to a point where he was shouting it as loud as he could only for them to stop beating him up while his arms and legs were bound. Dwight knew it was futile to say anything as they just wanted to serve him justice.

In the new room which he stood, a chill overtook him as he had seen enough war documentaries to know what each piece of equipment was supposed to be used for. There was a handmade bench that was tilted to one side, a large bucket of water in the corner, and several plastic pitchers beside it. A Savior had a cloth in hand as he nodded to the other men to place Dwight on the bench.

Dwight started breathing heavily as they pushed him down on the wooden surface. He tried to fight back but Negan made sure that they were plenty of Saviors nearby to prevent him from struggling too much. He felt multiple hands grab his head and shoulders as they yanked him to lay downwards. They unbound his hands quickly to wrap them around the bench as well as his feet once more.

He tried to stay calm even though he was about to endure one of the worst torture methods known to man. Once the Saviors felt that he was securely tied enough, they stood by the wall and waited. Dwight laid there for several minutes as the room was painstakingly quiet. He looked to all of the men and saw that they weren't even chatting to themselves.

Dwight didn't want to ask what they were waiting for but instead was glad with every second that passed. At the same time, he was still waiting and the more they sat in silence, the more the anticipation was killing him.

"We standing around for something important?" Dwight asked sardonically.

"Negan wanted to do the honors." The Savior with the cloth said.

"Of course he does," Dwight commented but didn't say anything more.

They waited for about twenty more minutes when the door opened while Dwight could hear Negan immediately chuckle with delight. He glanced up to see Negan fastening his belt on but saw the buckle dripping with blood. Negan's hand were covered with blood as well but looked to be unfazed by it. Dwight's mind started to wonder whose blood it belonged to. It made him irate to think of it being anyone of his group member's but even more infuriated if it was Sherry.

"You ready for this?" Negan asked Dwight and took an empty pitcher to the bucket to fill it up. "This is our first time using all this shit and I'll be honest, I'm fucking stoked." He turned around to look at Dwight then gestured towards the water. "Don't worry, this water is lukewarm. We made sure to accommodate so it's not too cold to freeze you out and not too hot to burn your face. That would just be fucking unfortunate with a mug like yours."

Negan took the piece of cloth from the Savior and walked beside Dwight. "Should I believe you when you say that it was you that planned everything? No one else helped you out? It was you throughout all of it?" Negan interrogated.

Dwight nodded. "It was all me." He said without a hint of fear.

Negan sighed as he looked to the bucket of water then back to Dwight. "Well, we already set this shit up…" He complained but then placed the cloth on top of Dwight's head. Dwight tried to wiggle it off him but then a Savior held his head and forced him still. It didn't take long for Negan to get everything started as Dwight felt water pour into his mouth and nose. Dwight tried to hold his breath but the water had already sat inside the back of his throat as he could feel it start to rise. His whole body tensed as he tried to cough it out but more water came. He attempted to lift his head but a Savior held his forehead down.

Dwight's body lurched and as the need to breathe was overriding everything else. The water stopped coming for several seconds as Dwight tried to cough everything out once more. However, Negan started pouring more on top of him as Dwight felt all hope leave. Thoughts became irrelevant and Dwight could only wish that it would end soon. He couldn't think about Sherry or any other silver lining. All Dwight could imagine in his head was to do whatever Negan asked him to do so his nightmare would cease. It didn't matter that for the last month, he tried to defy Negan at all costs. Soon Dwight started second guessing the reason why he wanted to escape in the first place. Had Negan asked him to kill Drew twenty more times, in that moment he would have done it. Only so he didn't have to be water boarded again.

Dwight could feel himself slip into unconsciousness when his lungs finally ran out of breath. It was like being trapped in a box under six feet of dirt. He felt himself slowly dying and saw pitch black around him. It was literally suffocating him. He had no thought of time or how long he had been in that state. He just knew that time was slowly slipping away.

He felt something press heavily on his stomach and his body move to an upright position. The water that was trapped inside his throat was being pushed out as he puked it out of his mouth. The cloth fell away as he tried to lean over to get his throat as cleared out as he could. Air finally returned to his lungs while he started shaking his head. "What do you want?" He gasped out. "I already told you everything!"

"Dwight, you have been fucking impossible to deal with at times but I keep you because it's just so goddamn entertaining." Negan divulged as he prepared more pitchers. Dwight groaned in protest as he filled each pitcher to the very top. "And you could be telling the truth. But maybe you aren't. Should we go through this again?"

Dwight lowered his head feeling his mind being torn with. "I swear that I was telling the truth before. There is no need to do this again." Dwight said while hearing the desperation in his voice. Negan nodded to another Savior who came him another piece of cloth. "Negan…" Dwight could hear the plea in his voice as the men lowered him back down. "Jesus Christ, Negan!"

"Call it my odd sense of humor or curiosity, but I just want to try this shit out again." Negan said as they tied Dwight back up to the bench. Dwight gasped for air as his eyes watered up. "Doesn't really matter what you say to make it all go away either. We're still going to do this two or three more times to really let it sink in. Don't you ever try and smuggle people out of Sanctuary again, Dwight." With that, he placed the cloth over Dwight's face and began pouring water again.

…

Negan repeated the same process three more times. Dwight was given several hours to recoup in another room. Badly shaken, he was left alone to rethink everything in his life and had to remind himself that Negan wasn't a good person. At the end of his torturing, Dwight had convinced himself that _he_ had been in the wrong for escaping. Had he stayed put and listened to Negan's commands, none of it would have happened. While sitting in his room alone, he had to take a couple steps back and remember that Negan was messing with him. He didn't deserve that sort of punishment. He had a human right to escape at all costs.

Things were blurred together and the right things seemed terribly wrong and vice versa. While mentally trying to piece everything together, his door to his room opened as he was quickly escorted into the hallway. Still with only boxers on, they guided him into a larger room. He first saw Yolanda whose ankle looked far worse than when she actually broke it. Takuya looked to be in worse shape as Dwight saw that his fingernails were partially missing. Dean looked to be tarred on various places on his body while his skin looked to be stripped away. Dwight's eyes wandered around the room and saw that Sherry was nowhere to be found.

The men that guided him in the room kicked the back of his knees so he would kneel down. Everyone else was placed in a straight line as they all grunted in pain from each of their wounds being irritated with every move that they made. The door opened again as Negan walked in with Sherry in tow. Dwight took a sharp intake of breath as he watched Negan hold Sherry by her arm and bring her to the end of their line. She knelt beside Dwight as he got a quick glance at her entire back. The skin was battered with various colors of dark purple to bright red as lines crisscrossed with what looked to be in the hundreds.

His heart sank knowing that indeed Negan had used his belt on her. He gulped down the lump in his throat as Sherry stared at Dwight with worry forming her face while Negan sauntered out of the room and shut the door behind him.

"Are you okay?" Dwight asked Sherry in the quietest whisper that he ever muttered.

Sherry did her best to respond but her bottom lip started quivering.

"Hey!" A Savior said as he walked up to Dwight. The man punched him in the eye as Sherry shrieked. "No talking to each other!" Dwight looked up to Sherry to see that she started openly crying while he nodded that he was alright. He could already feel that side of his face swelling.

Negan finally came back into the room with Lucille in hand. Dwight knew what was going to happen and that someone in their group wasn't going to be alive within the next hour. Negan nodded at Takuya and two Saviors stalked towards him with knives. One man unbound his hands and then held his elbow and the other grabbed his wrist.

"Who really was the one who orchestrated everything?" Negan asked as he eyed Takuya. Negan walked around the room and started swinging Lucille for practice. Dwight wanted to believe that Negan was only threatening and that it didn't have any merit. However, he was just water boarded for the fun of it.

Negan rested Lucille on his shoulder and walked over to Takuya. The two Saviors still held his hand and elbow as requested. They held on tightly while Takuya started to struggle unsure of what was going to happen. They held his arm out in front of Negan as Negan quickly stomped down with great force onto Takuya's lower arm. Dwight could hear his bone crunch while Takuya yelped in pain.

"Negan, it was…" Dwight started to say but was soon interrupted by Dean beside him.

"It was me!" Dean shouted intensely. "It was my plan to leave Sanctuary and I dragged everyone into it. Now children are dead because of me. Please don't shed any more innocent blood! Punish me instead. I deserve it!"

Dwight vehemently shook his head. "No! Negan! Dean didn't do it and you know it!" He argued as Negan didn't even look in his direction.

"Negan, it was me!" Sherry confessed while tears rolled down her cheeks. "Don't punish Dean! It was me!"

Negan nodded to his men. "Gag them!" He ordered.

Amidst everyone's multiple protests and confessions, they were all constrained with cloths over their mouths.

Congratulations, old man! You were the first to answer honestly! You are the one that is royally fucked though. Deservedly so." Negan said as he brought Lucille to be right in Dean's face. Dean looked at it in distress while Sherry started crying uncontrollably. Dwight stared widely at the bat as Negan toyed with his prize. "Do you have any last words? Say whatever the fuck you want. I got all fucking day." Negan insisted in a surprisingly kind voice.

Dean gulped but nodded as he looked side to side towards his group members. "I have missed my wife every day since this whole thing started. I can finally be with her again. But I also want to tell my group that it has been a great privilege to be in their company. There could be finer people than you have been." Dean thought to himself and looked to both Sherry and Dwight with a wink. "'Courage will now be your best defense against the storm that is at hand.'" He then nodded to Negan. "I'm ready, Negan. Hit me with your best shot."

Negan gazed at Dean with mild enthrallment. Then he snorted as he tightened his grip in Lucille. "Good last words," he responded. "Too bad they won't save you."

Negan brought Lucille high over his head and slammed down on Dean's skull as Dwight turned his head in shock. Dean's body dropped down head first instantly being blacked out. In a way, Dwight thought it fortunate as he didn't have to suffer. Negan continued to swing as Dwight was so close to the impact zone that he could feel the wind every time before Lucille collided. Blood splattered all over his own body from being so near to the horrendous scene. It was hard to imagine being somewhere else when the pain that he felt for himself and for his friends was so raw and gut-wrenching. Negan's cackles echoed throughout the room as Dwight fought to keep bile rising from his throat.

Dean was dead because of Negan. He had to remember that. No matter how much he wanted to place the guilt on himself, Negan was first and foremost responsible. Yet a part of himself felt the guilt. The longer he stayed in Sanctuary, the more he was becoming one of the Saviors. The more he was becoming a man like Negan.

_Courage, _Dwight continued to say to himself as Dean's voice rang throughout his mind. _Courage._

**AUTHOR'S NOTES, TRIVIA, &amp; FACTS**

**#1 – The first quote by Dean is from Tom Hanks. The second quote is from Lord of the Rings penned by the great Tolkien…obviously.**

**#2 – The song that Dwight sang is Hang Me, Oh, Hang Me by Dave Von Ronk.**

**#3 – For obvious reasons, this was a difficult chapter to write. I had to look up many methods of torture and which ones Negan would actually utilize. But the more I think of Negan and the things that he has done in the comics, nothing is too heinous in the lines of torture. He is a messed up SOB.**

**#4 – As per Walking Dead tradition, the moral compass NEVER lasts long. Rest in peace, Dean! You were a gentleman and a scholar.**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Dwight kept his eyes closed when they escorted him into the hallway. He couldn't even look in the same direction that Dean's decapitated body laid. Once in his original holding room, the Saviors slammed the door shut behind him and were on their way. Dwight was left alone to be in complete shock of all the events that had just transpired to him and his group. To do wrong against the Saviors meant receiving brutal consequences. What Negan had promised would happen if they didn't fall into his plans had proved to be true in the worst way possible.

Dwight saw his clothes in the corner of the room and worked slowly to put them back on. His muscles were irritated with each movement with immediate discomfort. When finished, he sat down on the blood-stained floor and leaned his head against the wall behind him. He was emotionally drained and disoriented which was finally catching up with him.

He felt incredibly stupid for trying to sneak out while Negan was in Sanctuary. He had put everyone in harm's way and Dean was dead because of his hair-brained idea. He wondered how Jason and Terri could keep all their kids alive on their own. Because of his impatience, their lives were in peril. He shut his eyes closed and purposefully banged the back of his head against the wall multiple times. The responsibility and failure that he felt were overwhelming.

Dwight wondered what their own future held as they continued to be captives in Sanctuary. Would they always be in prisoners in the court house for the rest of their lives as punishment? Dwight imagined that they would be under constant watch for what they had done.

Even though the odds were slim, he hoped that Jason and Terri were okay and that Negan's men didn't catch them. He assumed that they weren't brought back to Sanctuary as they weren't in the interrogation room with Negan's show of power.

Lost in his thoughts, he jumped when the door opened and another man was thrown into the room. The man crashed to the opposite side of where Dwight sat. Dwight didn't recognize the man. He had assumed that the man was never a part of the Saviors. The man had long hair that was worn in a bun and also a scruffy beard on his face. It looked to have been well-kept before but the man had a recently disheveled appearance.

The man looked around in bewilderment and confusion. His eyes finally focused on Dwight who in turn, eyed the man questioningly.

"What are you in for?" The man asked in mild humor.

"Trying to escape Sanctuary." Dwight answered honestly. "What about you?"

The man looked intrigued at Dwight's reply. "I tried to sneak in, I guess." He replied but then looked to Dwight for a little bit longer. "I know you."

Dwight looked at him confused as just recalled that he never saw the man before. "I'm sorry, I don't remember seeing you anywhere." He said but looked to the man wondering if his memory would spark something.

The man stared at Dwight for a moment in silence as clarity sank in. "You were the one that killed Drew." He stated.

Dwight blinked at his words as that terrible moment came up to the surface. He tried multiple times to forget all about that incident at Hilltop but knew it was futile. In a way, it was his life sentence to think about Drew's death forever.

The man shrugged. "I saw it all go down. It seems that Negan is training you to do his dirty work. How's that going for ya?" He asked.

Dwight smirked in reply and looked to him knowingly. "How does it look like its going?" He countered back. The man smiled sadly and looked around the room. They both fell into silence as they tried to size each other up while unwilling to confide anymore to one another.

Dwight stared at a particular spot on the floor. He assumed that it was his own blood from when he was beat only a couple of hours earlier. He had nothing else to say to the man and found himself zoning out while concentrating on the stain.

The man saw the spot that Dwight concentrated on and gazed at it as well. "I'm sorry that your plan of escape failed." He said but then thought to himself for a moment before he continued. "You think that I even have a chance on getting out of here?"

Dwight sighed in defeat. "I don't know what to tell you. I don't even know what _my_ future has in store. I wish that I could say that they'll let you go your separate way but it's doubtful." Dwight said as he shook his head. "I'm sorry, man. It's just hard for me to remain optimistic. Even for myself."

The man nodded in understanding. He crawled over to Dwight and stretched his hand out. "My name is Paul. Paul Monroe. But the people at Hilltop have been in the habit of calling me Jesus."

Dwight looked to Paul – Jesus – with confusion at the nickname but then assumed that Paul had the same likeness of the deity. Dwight took Paul's hand and shook it. "Dwight Orlich." He responded while Paul sat beside Dwight while they fell into silence again, each thinking about their impending fate. "You're from Hilltop, I'm guessing?" Dwight deduced.

Paul nodded. "Negan and his men found Hilltop a couple of months ago. Since then, we have been taxed a ridiculous amount and have no way to fend for ourselves. The Saviors have taken care of us by being our bodyguards." He said the last past with sarcasm. "Who knew that we would need to fend for ourselves against other people. Walkers are the least of our worries."

Paul stopped and started tracing his finger on the tile floor. "As a scout at Hilltop, I took it upon myself to scope Negan's group. See what their base was all about. Fast forward to getting punched a lot in the face and here I am. At least I know that Negan's men are in the hundreds. And I did come out of this with some hopeful information. Not that I can relay it to my people but it's good to know before I get executed." Paul surmised.

"What's that?" Dwight asked.

"There are some men that are willing to defy Negan." He said with conviction as he looked to Dwight.

Dwight wanted to agree with him and give the man some hope that one day he would help with the Negan problem. Instead he shook his head. "Negan has too many things to hold over my head that are my priority to protect. I can't go against him anymore. I'm sorry." He explained sadly.

Paul looked to him with a melancholy but knowing smile. "_I'm_ sorry then." He said quietly.

They talked about various things over the next several hours until the door opened and men started emerging in the room to pick Dwight up. They bound his hands behind him and started ushering him out into the hallway.

"Good luck, Dwight!" Paul called after him as a man quickly kicked him in the face and told him to shut up.

…

They were all brought back into the same room that Dean was killed in only hours before. Fortunately, the mess was all cleaned up. Yolanda and Takuya's broken bones were all bandaged up and put in necessary slings and other binds. The men that guided Dwight into the room then unbound him and left while Dwight heard the door quickly lock.

Sherry walked over to him with fatigue written on her face. They all appeared to have the same forsaken expression. Dwight couldn't even begin to describe how much he had wished the whole apocalypse didn't happen at all. However, he would take another twenty years of their first six months in the wild than being in Sanctuary for one more minute.

He looked to Sherry and thought about the scars on her back. He grimaced at the thought and noticed that she still appeared to be in severe pain. "Are you okay?" She asked in a shaky voice.

Dwight nodded as confidently as he could. "We're still here at least." He said while trying to keep her hopeful.

Sherry sighed and looked at her feet. "How much more do we have to go through?" She inquired in a heart-wrenching voice.

Dwight brought his hand up to her chin and lifted her head so she could look at him. "I'm sorry that I couldn't make things better for you." He said in a defeated tone. She smiled and held his hand that held her face. They didn't say anything else but instead soaked in the small amount of comfort that they had found with each other.

The door started to unlock as Dwight and Sherry immediately stood apart from each other. Negan opened the door and smiled at the sight of all of them like they were long lost friends. Dwight immediately noticed that Lucille's presence was missing from Negan's shoulder as the man took a chair that stood next to the door and picked it up. He placed it in the middle of the room and sat on it backwards.

"You will all be given your assignments that you had before. Except for Dwight," Negan started as he eyed Dwight. "I'll let you know what that is later in the day. You will soon know why when we get to that point."

Negan stared at the spot where Dean had been killed while lost in thought. He then twiddled his thumbs and took a deep breath. "I do have a slight confession though." Negan said and looked up to all of them. "I knew that it wasn't poor Dean's idea."

The group all looked to each other with exasperation. Sherry made a pained sob at the revelation and turned around no longer able to acknowledge Negan's presence. "Then why?" Yolanda cried.

"It humored me, simple as that." Negan said with no guilt in his voice. "Also, I have learned that you guys respond well to punishment by others from your own mistakes." He glanced to Sherry in particular who refused to make eye contact with him. "I had help though. A mole, if you will. I was informed about your planned escape. I didn't know when you were going; I just knew it was going to happen. So I told him to keep me updated. He was to check on you from time to time. Dean wasn't the one who prepared the escape, was he Dwight?" Negan asked as he eyed Dwight. Dwight met his gaze with a rage building inside.

Negan smiled at Dwight's intimidating glare. "My plan was almost foiled when you guys started catching onto him and no longer invited him to your secret meetings. But lucky for me, I still had him keep an eye on the other Asian. Takuya, isn't it?" Negan asked in a friendly voice.

Takuya slowly nodded but Dwight could see the strife in his eyes. They all knew who Negan was talking about. "He knew the plan was to sneak out behind the schoolhouse. Takuya guarded the building next to it at night. So if Takuya didn't show up, we knew the plan was going into effect. I was surprised that you guys decided to leave when I was in Sanctuary. But I'll tell you that plans slowed down on our side because I was suffering a terrible hangover thanks to my sweet wife." He winked over to Sherry who still couldn't make eye contact with him.

"You almost made it out. My mole was slow and sloppy in his work but he _did_ alert us." Negan said with a sigh. "I just don't really have much of a use for anymore. Given his alert, you guys were very close to escaping and we don't have room for 'almosts.' That's nearly a mistake waiting to happen. He really has no place among the Saviors. So I thought that perhaps you could do me a favor?" Negan asked as he produced a pistol out of his jacket and stood up. He loaded the gun with one bullet and placed the gun on the chair where he once sat.

They all looked to each other in bafflement until Negan whistled towards the door. It opened as Haruki was gagged and batter with binds around his hands. The men pushed him forward had him kneel down next to the wall where he continued to cry steadily. It was growing to be a familiar feeling to Dwight that when things had bothered him, he could seek out revenge by simply pulling the trigger. He eyed the gun then looked to Haruki knowing what he _wanted_ to do. He didn't even want to consider the question on if he _should_.

…

Sherry knew what Negan wanted them to do. He wanted them to dispose of Haruki. For no reason other than the fact that he wasn't good at his job. Haruki sobbed as tears fell onto the floor. Sherry scanned her group member's faces. Yolanda seemed to be doing the same as she looked disconcerted with what everyone else was thinking about regarding their new challenge that they faced.

Sherry could see Takuya looking at Haruki with complete disappointment. He didn't even try to comfort the crying man like he often had to in their first few months together. He just stood there feeling utterly betrayed by his lifelong friend. Then Sherry gazed to Dwight who looked fully enraged. He never took his eyes off of Haruki. Not even to blink. Sherry had never seen him look so infuriated.

Negan looked to everyone and nodded. "You could always keep him alive. I'm sure we could find something for him to do. I would just prefer him not, if you know what I mean." Negan said and then turned on his heels to leave the room. Once the door closed, Haruki's muffled cries were the only thing that made a sound. Sherry had to continue and stare at her fellow group member's. They were the ones that had Haruki's fate in their hands.

"Haruki?" Yolanda started and limped over to take his gag off his mouth. The wails came out in pants while Yolanda took a couple of steps back and looked towards everyone else in disbelief.

"I'm so sorry!" Haruki stressed in between his uncontrollable cries. "I didn't mean… I didn't know it would go this far!"

"Haruki, you sold us out." Sherry said quietly. "This was the job that you were talking about before, wasn't it? The one that you didn't want to compromise? When you said you didn't know, you're lying!"

He cried even more. "I'm sorry! I didn't want to leave Sanctuary. I tried to convince you guys to feel the same way so this didn't have to happen. I'm so sorry!" He spilled the words out quickly but then cried again once he was finished. The tears were never-ending as they continued to watch him with mistrust. Sherry looked to Dwight who appeared to angry to even say a word. She feared for Haruki and knew there was a slim chance of him stepping out of the room if Dwight didn't gain some composure.

"You could have come with us, Haruki." Takuya reasoned in a cold voice. "We could have protected you from the walkers out there."

"I know. I know that now." Haruki babbled in between pants.

Sherry looked to him. "We taught you how to survive on your own. You became strong over the last seven months. Was it really so bad out there?" She inquired. Sherry understood that they didn't have the strongest relationship but it still hurt that he went behind their backs in the way that he did.

He shook his head in response. "We had a place to stay away from all of that! A place where we never ran out of food. Shelter! I didn't want to leave that! But I know better now and I'm so sorry! Please, believe me!" He practically shouted at them as the tension rose in the room.

"No, you don't know better!" Sherry disagreed. "You ratted us out to save your own skin! We can't trust you anymore! Not with what you did to us!"

Haruki looked down in defeat as he tried to fight for his life in any way. "I didn't want you to be hurt. I didn't know that was part of the plan." He said in a pained voice. Sherry wanted to believe him but what he did had been so deceitful. She didn't know if she would ever get over it.

"Look around!" Takuya yelled angrily which made Sherry and Yolanda jump. They had never heard Takuya ever raise his voice. He had always been the peacemaker of the group. "We started out as a group of twelve! Fourteen if you count Teresa and Todd! Then we lost Hannah… But everyone else in our group is dead because of you! That blood is on your hands!" He rebuked harshly as Sherry took a sharp intake of breath. She didn't want to think of Jason's family and Jenna as dead. However Jason and Terri were the only source of manpower in the group among children. The odds were small for survival. Yolanda started to cry at the notion that she had lost her daughter forever. In a way, she already had.

Haruki cried even more as the group stood still. None of them took a step towards the gun. Even though they put Haruki responsible for Dean's fate, they didn't know if they could play judge to someone's soul. That was until Sherry peered over to Dwight once more and knew that his decision had been made.

"Please don't kill me!" Haruki begged. "I will do anything for you! Anything!"

With that, Dwight walked up to the gun and took if off the chair. He stalked over to Haruki and held the gun right to Haruki's forehead. Haruki started to wail uncontrollably as he pleaded for his life over and over again. It was only a couple of pleas that Dwight let him have as he cocked the gun. No one made a move to stop him. Not even Takuya.

"Please, Dwight! I know that we never got along throughout all of this! But I swear that I will do whatever you ask! Please!" Haruki groveled.

Dwight kept silent as he looked to Haruki. Sherry just stood there watching the scene wondering whether or not Dwight was actually going to. Finally, he opened his mouth. "I don't believe you." Dwight said gruffly. He pulled the trigger as the gun went off loudly in the room. Yolanda jolted from the noise and covered her ears well after the bullet met Haruki's forehead. The cries immediately stopped as he slumped to the ground.

Unsure of what would happen next, they all waited for someone to react. Dwight continued to look away from them and at Haruki with his gun in the same position that it had been in when he took his hit. Then they heard Takuya start to weep. They knew that he wept for the loss of a friend that left a long time ago. Yolanda and Sherry went to comfort him as he leaned down to rest his head on Yolanda's shoulder.

Dwight then looked to the last surviving members of his group with a troubled face. "We're still here," he uttered in shock as he placed the gun back down on the chair.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The sun shone bright above Sherry's head as she was escorted by Negan out of the court house. She had no concept of time and didn't know how long they had been in that particular wing of the court house. The light was almost blinding after Sherry spent a lengthy amount of time in a room with no windows.

Sherry started walking towards Negan's house but was stopped by Negan's firm hand on her shoulder. She fidgeted under his touch on her still very sore body and the fact that she just didn't want to be around him at all. Especially after the mind game that he pulled on them that left Dean in pieces.

To her surprise, he reached for her hand and started guiding her away from his house. She gave him a confused look as they started turning towards the other Victorian homes. "You're going to live somewhere else." Negan said as a matter-of-factly.

Sherry stared at him and couldn't sense what that phrase even meant or entailed. "Are you divorcing me?" She asked sardonically but also trying to mask her hope.

He scoffed. "Fuck no! Don't worry about that." Negan assured as Sherry immediately felt discouraged by his answer. "After the other night, I have decided I need a little space from you. Nothing against you, per se, but I didn't enjoy being handcuffed to my bed post. In retrospect, I'm sure that's how you felt living at my house. So I'm doing both of us a favor because for the time being, we can't trust each other under the same fucking roof."

Sherry knew it was a logical reason. Even though he didn't sound particularly disinterested in Sherry altogether, space was still something that she wanted and was the lesser of two evils. She still resented that he wouldn't let her go completely.

They continued to walk down the road and pass by several homes while Saviors went about their business once again. Negan stared down at his shoes while walking and then put his hands in his front jean pockets. "I make the rules around here. You know that, right?" He asked while slowing his pace.

She nodded while still unsure of what was going on.

"I have a surprise for you. I think you'll like it… Or you'll hate it. I don't know, I guess I don't really know you all that well to figure that out." Negan commented as he stopped in front of Jason's and Terri's old house. She could see from the windows that a couple of people were already occupying their home. Negan gestured for her to enter into the metal gates that separated the sidewalk from the lawn. She reluctantly did so as they headed up the porch. Negan opened and held the door for Sherry. She entered the hallway and could instantly hear the sound of giggles and women chattering away. They were still only in earshot but Sherry had a sinking feeling that something was off about her new residence.

"What the hell is this?" Sherry asked Negan with as much authority that she felt brave enough to use.

He looked down shyly but then gave a mischievous smile. "This is your new home. Think of it as a sorority of sorts." He suggested almost in a joking manner.

Sherry's eyebrows raised as she continued to hear other women in the living room but didn't see their faces yet. "What the fuck is this?" She asked once more in a breathless tone.

Negan smiled even wider. "They have all agreed on an arrangement with me for their protection. So you will all be living together with the same agreement intact." He explained.

Suddenly it all clicked. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she took a step away from him and the door. "You're a pig! This is a brothel?!" She asked incredulously while shaking her head. She couldn't be a part of it. Not in a million years did she ever think she would be put in that situation. It was demeaning and almost hurtful. Couldn't he just let her be?

He shrugged but his smirk was still there as it only made Sherry more exasperated. "I don't know what to tell you. You weren't putting out. What the fuck was I supposed to do?" Negan asked as if that answered all of her questions.

"Why do I have to be a part of this?" Sherry boldly questioned. "You have obviously moved on! I don't see why I have to be a part of the deal."

"There is a simple reason for that." Negan relented while nodding his head. "I'm a selfish guy. If I let you out of the deal, someone is going to make their own move." They both knew who he was talking about. He didn't want Dwight to have her. Simple as that. "Also, it's an extra security measure that you will behave. You're still mine. Don't ever forget that." He walked up to her and leaned down to give her a quick kiss on the forehead. She moved her head to reject him while he quickly recovered and walked away to open the front door for her again. "Look at the bright side of this outcome, Sherry. I think sharing me will work better for my patience anyways."

Sherry just stood on the porch with her arms folded. Tears felt like they could burst through at any moment but she kept them at bay to appear brave. Inside, she wanted to curl into a ball and cry. Negan's eyes read sympathy as he looked at her. "Have Christy show you your new room. Your uniform will be in there. She'll also go under some new protocols as well." Sherry just walked into the house because she was tired of talking to the unreasonable jerk. He shut the door behind her as she jumped.

"My uniform?" She whispered to herself as she stood in the front entryway. It all seemed so bizarre to her. She walked into the living room and immediately saw five women wearing lingerie. Knowing that she still had a little fight left in her, talking to Negan again didn't seem so bad. She stepped out of the living room once more and practically ran out of the front door to chase Negan down. "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!" Sherry yelled and didn't care who she was speaking to.

Negan turned around as he burst out in laughter. "What the fuck is wrong?" He toyed with her.

She pointed to the house. "Who the fuck do you think I am? Like I am just going to walk around in skimpy clothes all the fucking day long? What the fuck is wrong with you?" She inquired while various Saviors turned their attention towards their fight that they were having in the middle of the road.

Negan continued to chuckle uproariously at her reaction. "Relax! Anytime that you leave the house you are allowed to wear regular clothes. Only I get to see you girls looking that nice and dolled up. Except for Billiard Night."

"Billiard Night?" Sherry repeated in embarrassment.

"Yes, Billiard Night. Sherry, it's not really an option. You are doing this because you screwed me over when it was just you and me. This are your consequences to your actions. You could paint me as the bad guy all the fuck you want but this is the way it is." Negan said as all humor left his voice. There was an ounce of threatening that he brought there. "Do I make myself clear?"

Sherry closed her eyes and realized the uphill battle before her. She was in no position to boss him around. Every time that she pushed, he would lash out on someone that she cared for. Knowing there weren't a lot of people left in her group she sighed and looked to Negan in defeat. "You are fucking insane." She retorted as she turned back to the house. "And I am not wearing that stupid uniform." She muttered low while she could hear Negan snort at her comment.

…

Sherry entered the house once more and took a deep breath. She walked into the living room and saw all the other women staring at her. They no doubt heard all of the commotion outside and just stared at her in awe.

"You really shouldn't talk to Negan like that." A blonde woman reprimanded her.

Sherry rolled her eyes at her first interaction with the women. It was already off to a bad start. "What's he going to do? Beat me?" She asked as found a seat on a cushioned rocker opposite of the couch. They already stared at her face that had multiple bruises and stitches.

"Are you new?" A red head asked.

Another blonde shook her head. "No. She's Negan's first wife. Like the head wife. At least that's what he told me." She clarified.

Sherry stared at her with befuddlement. Everything they said sounded cultish. _Mostly because it is, _she thought. "I'm no one's wife." Sherry said weakly as she leaned her forehead on her palms. She could feel a headache forming. "This is so dumb!"

The girls all looked to each other, unsure of what to say. They were all in the same boat. However, Sherry had been in Sanctuary longer than they have. She was sure that they had no idea what they signed up for.

"My name is Megan." The redhead said. "I guess I am wife number five."

One brunette looked to Sherry and smiled. "My name is Ashlyn. I'm number three." She introduced herself.

"I'm Ashlyn's sister, Amanda. I'm number four." Amanda spoke up sitting next to Ashlyn.

The bustier blonde spoke up. "I'm Brittany. Wife number six." She said with pride in her voice. Sherry was a little turned off by Brittany's attitude and immediately tried to zone her out as if she wasn't in the room at all.

The blonde that looked normal and not full of plastic surgery on her boobs smiled in comfort. "I'm Christy. Wife two." She said with an exaggerated look.

"How did he label you?" Sherry asked. "Did he number you guys so he could tell you apart?" It came out a little cold but she wasn't in the mood to make friends with her… _Ugh, I have sister wives, _she thought in dread.

Ashlyn shook her head in response. "No. It was what order we came to Sanctuary and were interviewed by him. We have only been here for a couple of days." She explained.

"So what's Negan like?" Brittany interjected. "We've only talked to him a couple of times. He's pretty handsome though."

Sherry felt like she was going to puke at her words. In all honesty, she thought he was attractive when she first saw him as well. He was now tainted by his own actions. "Oh, he's a real peach," she began. "If you do anything of your own free will, he'll beat you to a pulp. Just the other day, he whipped me in a hundred places for trying to leave." Sherry said in feigned cheerfulness. The girls all looked to her with shock from her words. "Well, at least you now know what's ahead of you. You guys were able to choose to be his wife or not, right?"

"He gave us the option and being his wife sounded more appealing than not." Christy admitted.

"More of an ultimatum." Sherry corrected. "He threatened to kill someone if you denied him."

They all nodded as the two sisters, Ashlyn and Amanda, reached for each other's hands in support. "We didn't want to take the chance." Ashlyn said as she looked to Sherry.

Sherry felt a mixture of sympathy for the girls. She didn't know what they had just endured in the last seven months. Anything probably sounded better than what they have had to endure. "Tell me about you guys," Sherry said in a different mood. She felt her motivation moving her in another direction. "What was your group like before all of this happened?"

Brittany raised her hand as if she wanted to speak first. "I was part of a biker gang. It was a real blast, actually. Negan's men came to us and we all realized how much our groups had in common. So we decided to join up. I won't be passed around all the guys anymore so it'll be a nice change of pace." Brittany said as they all stared at her with worry. "Don't worry, it was still really fun." Sherry again tried to pretend Brittany wasn't in the room as she didn't much care for her. She appeared to have fake boobs, wore too much jewelry, and had zero self-respect. Sherry assumed that she was never going to get along with the platinum blonde for those reasons.

Christy gestured towards herself and the rest of the girls. "We were all part of a large group of twenty-five people. Negan's group also came to us and told us of Sanctuary. We joined after given only two options. One seemed a lot better." She said but looked distant.

Sherry's motivation was turning to compassion as she looked at all of their empty faces. They all seemed unknowing of what being Negan's wife really entailed so she felt the overwhelming need to help them along and to save them from the heartbreak that she herself had just endured. "Just do what he says. Fly under the radar and do what he says." Sherry said as she leaned back on the chair. She immediately regretted it as her wounds on her freshly scarred back screamed in agony. She growled to keep from shrieking herself and sat back up in an upright position. Once the pain subsided enough to where she could function, she looked to Christy in exhaustion. "Negan said you could show me the room that I'm staying in?" She asked. Christy stood up and motioned for Sherry to follow her. Sherry waved a little goodbye to all the girls in the living room and stepped behind Christy and out of the suffocating room.

Christy walked up the stairs and into a room that was directly parallel to the stairwell. "This is our room. We share." Christy said as she stepped inside. There were two twin size beds in the small room. One bed looked unmade so she guessed that Christy had already claimed it. Sherry wondered if that room used to be Teegan and Troy's.

"We share?" Sherry asked.

Christy shrugged. "All the girls share. There is one more bedroom upstairs, one on the main floor, and three bedrooms in the basement are still unoccupied. But I guess Negan wants us to share just in case he adds to his…collection." She said unenthusiastically.

"This isn't just messed up to me, is it?" Sherry asked Christy in all honesty.

Christy sat on her own bed and faced Sherry. "I really don't like this living situation, believe me." Christy paused and looked down. "But after all that my group and I have been through, being married to someone seemed easier." She glanced up to Sherry warily. "At least that's what I thought until you talked to us downstairs."

Sherry gave her a look of apology. "I just don't follow orders too well. As long as you do what he says, he'll respect you. I feel if I'm the only one causing him trouble, he won't be able to focus on you guys too much." She said while trying to alleviate Christy's worry.

"What did you do?" Christy asked in an eager tone.

"I tried to leave Sanctuary. He didn't like that." Sherry said as she looked out the window as her heart skipped a beat. Despite her wounds not wanting her to make quick movements, she nearly ran to the window and opened it. Her mind wasn't playing games with her. She remembered that Jason and Terri's house was right next to Dwight's but it didn't click until she saw his bedroom window which was parallel to hers.

She turned to Christy. "But I think I will like living here." Sherry said while Christy gave her a confused look. "It'll be nice to be close to my old and new friends."

…

Negan and Dwight walked together towards the front gate where the inventory was. They walked up the stairs on the side of the building and went to the rooftop. Negan sat on the lounge chair and motioned for Dwight to join him. Dwight sat next to the chair on the roof as Negan offered him a beer. Dwight looked quizzically at the can as Negan extended his hand further so Dwight would take it. Reluctantly, Dwight took it as Negan sat back on his chair and opened his own beverage.

"I wanted to congratulate you." Negan commented as he took his first sip.

Dwight peered at him perplexed. "On what?" He questioned.

"I underestimated you. Even when I gave you boundaries, you crossed them. Fear wasn't written on your face when I caught you in the act. You were still determined to cross me with any chance that you got. I commend that kind of attitude. However, I _will not accept _it. You have proven yourself to be a valuable survivor in this world. And I gave you jobs that are beneath you." Negan smiled and patted Dwight on the back. "So I decided to promote you!"

Dwight still stared at him in disbelief then took a large swig of beer. "Is what I did in Hilltop going to be one of my job requirements?" He inquired knowing the question had to be asked.

Negan nodded while Dwight could feel a part of his soul dying. He already knew that he didn't have a choice in the matter. "I need everyone to know that I am not fucking around as their leader. With you by my side constantly, I feel like I will get my point across with more ease. No more of their complaining shit." Negan reasoned to himself.

Dwight took an even larger gulp of alcohol to take his edge off. "What if I said no?" He asked.

Negan chuckled at his response. "Sorry, you can't. With you by my side at all times, I can keep a closer eye on you. You are smart. And I would rather keep my enemies closer than my friends." He replied.

Dwight thought to himself and pondered about what his new job of power would give him. If he was able to do right in any way, he had to try. "On two conditions." Dwight said.

Negan scoffed already at his request. "You really think you have the authority to give me conditions?" He asked.

"It's worth a shot. I met a man named Paul in the court house. His people call him Jesus? As your second in command, I think it would be beneficial that you let him go back to Hilltop." Dwight said evenly to get his point across.

"He's scheduled to be executed in a couple of hours. Why would I let him go? He knows where our base is now." Negan explained.

"You think you tortured him thoroughly enough?" Dwight questioned.

Negan nodded. "Fuck, yeah." He responded.

"He has seen our base, our men, and our brutality. Do you really think that defenseless Hilltop is going to retaliate or will Paul go back and warn his people from fighting us?" He asked while trying to have Negan see the bigger picture.

Negan looked impressed at his reasoning and took a couple of drinks from his beer. "Alright. We'll let him go." He smiled in Dwight's direction. "This is why you are second in command. Partner." He said as he raised his glass towards Dwight. Dwight raised his and they book took a drink. "What's your second condition?" He asked.

"Sherry." Dwight replied knowing that he didn't have to say much else.

"That is a flat out no. Nice try though." Negan said as he laughed lightly. "Sherry is where she needs to be so I know things won't happen behind the scenes. The queen stays where she is so the pawns can strategize for the king's optimal spot on top. She's just a more powerful pawn but I need her beside me. That will never change."

Dwight grinded his teeth at Negan's stubbornness on the subject but stayed silent. Getting Sherry out of her situation was imperative. However talking Negan out of her releasing her was pointless. He had to think of something else if a miracle was going to take place.

…

Dwight got home late. He followed Negan around all day while observing what needed to be done around Sanctuary. A lot of things surprised him as he followed Negan around. He was introduced to a lot more men. Men that he didn't know existed.

Construction on the fence was happening to expand Sanctuary to be even larger than what it was. Negan wanted a fence to be around an older mill that was in close proximity to the little town. It would be the new entrance to all of Sanctuary. The mill was tall enough to house many snipers that could warn of any danger. Not that anyone would even attempt to come their way. The Saviors proved to be a force to be reckoned with.

He walked back to his house and quickly noticed that Jason and Terri's house was occupied once more with another group of people. Negan briefly explained that he had some newer occupants that came to Sanctuary. There was one girl that sat on the porch and was only wearing a bra and underwear. She was making a complete idiot of herself and whistled at the men walking by her new house.

"Hey, sexy!" The woman shouted when she spotted Dwight stepping up to his porch. "Oh, hello!" She said in an exaggerated voice as she got a better look at him. "Where are you off to?" She asked.

He refused to answer back and just walked into his house. Takuya moved in within the day as it was just the three in their group left; excluding Sherry. Having the three together didn't sound too bad to Dwight. It would be a nice break away from his new job. _There was one thing missing, _Dwight thought to himself as he worried about Sherry. He didn't know the next time that he would be able to see her. He was doubtful that he would be able to guard Negan's house in the mornings while being second-in-command.

Dwight stepped into the kitchen to see Yolanda and Takuya at the table as they ate some food that had been prepared. "I made some soup." Yolanda said quietly. Dwight could see her tear-stained cheeks as she looked up to Dwight while trying to appear happier than she was. "Would you like any, Dwight?"

He shook his head slowly. "I had something a couple of hours ago. I think I might call it a night." He said quietly. Haruki and Yolanda both nodded and waved a goodnight. They all felt the worst that they had ever felt in their lives. Dwight couldn't even look at Yolanda for the enormous guilt that he had on his shoulders. He promised her that his plan of leaving Sanctuary would be foolproof. It ended up being worse than he could have imagined because Yolanda was now separated from her daughter. He took full responsibility as he knew that was where Yolanda was coming from. He only hoped that she would eventually forgive him.

He walked up the stairs and went straight to his bedroom. He opened the window and let the night air creep inside. Dwight sat on his bed and started to take his shoes off. It was a slow process with the pain from his whole body but it felt good to finally sit down and relax for the rest of the night.

"Hey!" He heard someone whisper. The sound immediately made his heart leap. He knew that voice but it was too good to be true. He looked out his window towards the street but saw no one in sight. At least no one that he expected.

"Over here." The voice said. Startled he looked up at the window next door.

"Sherry?!" He said in a whisper. Dwight couldn't believe his eyes.

She smiled but wore a look of uneasiness on her face. "We don't have much time. Negan will be here any minute." She stressed.

The realization finally donned on him of what Jason &amp; Terri's house was formed into as he thought of the other girl on the front porch. "All of those girls?" Dwight asked.

She nodded as she knew what he was thinking. "I think he was getting tired of just me. He's the boss so he can make his own rules, right?" Sherry asked with sarcasm.

Her nose looked slightly better than it did the last time that he saw her. Even though she looked like she showered and cleaned the blood off of her, Sherry still wore the scars that would be with her for the rest of her life. A pang of grief struck him at the thought. Dwight looked to what she was wearing. Sherry wore a thin black shawl over her body like a protective shield. "New clothes, I see." He teased slightly to keep the mood light but it came out a little more furious than he intended. He saw what the girl on the front porch was wearing and surmised that Sherry's attire couldn't have been any different.

"I didn't want to. But when I got out of the shower, my old clothes were gone." Sherry shook her head. "It's so stupid."

"I'm sorry, Sher," Dwight said with sincerity. "Is Negan still being a gentleman to you?"

"I wouldn't go too far as him being called a gentleman but he we haven't…done it… if that's what you're asking." Sherry said immediately getting to the point.

Dwight grimaced at the thought. "So you're my neighbor now?" He asked while quickly changing the subject.

Sherry gave him a genuinely happy smile. "Any neighborhood parties that happen?" She asked.

"Sadly, no. However the neighbors aren't so bad once you get to know them." He said with a wink.

Sherry beamed at him and it made Dwight feel great to see her smile under the circumstances. "Will we be okay?" She asked him in concern.

Dwight looked her in the eyes as he didn't have an answer. He didn't know how much longer they were going to be in Sanctuary and what other trials laid ahead for them. Dwight nodded anyways knowing they were still alive which meant something. "We just can't give up. No matter what." He encouraged.

Sherry rested her head on her hands as her arms rested on the window's ledge. "Are _you_ okay?" She questioned.

Dwight realized at that moment that they really didn't have time to even discuss the two men that he had killed in front of Sherry's own eyes in the span of a couple of days. "I honestly don't know why you still even talk to me." He said earnestly.

Sherry gave him a sad look. "You aren't the one pulling the strings. I can focus my anger on the person that deserves it." She reasoned.

"In spite of all the danger that we've been through in the past seven months, I'm glad that you and I are in this together." Dwight said yet at the same time, he wished that Sherry hadn't been a part of all their terrible experiences. She deserved so much more.

"Is that ripping off the Quarrymen?" She asked with teasing in her eyes.

Dwight sighed as he grinned towards her. "Oh, a girl after my own heart." He stated as he looked to her fondly. It didn't really matter that the girl of his dreams knew a reference like that but it just made Sherry more amazing than she already was.

They heard a scream from the front porch as Brittany nearly pummeled Negan to the ground as they embraced and walked towards the house together. Negan kept a hand on Brittany's backside as she made out with him in public. Sherry made a disgusted look as she looked on at the scene. "I have to go. He won't be here forever and will probably take Brittany back to his place. Are you going anywhere tonight?" Sherry asked.

"I'll be here." Dwight said confidently.

Sherry smiled and closed the window while Dwight got a brief glimpse at her wardrobe that had been previously hidden under her black shawl. Dwight couldn't help but notice the navy blue corset and matching lace undies. He took a deep breath to shake off the feelings inside that it stirred then closed the window. He walked downstairs knowing that he needed the company of his only lasting group members.

Yolanda watched him as he took a seat at the dining room table. "Want to play UNO? We're trying to get our minds off of everything." She said as she looked specifically to Takuya. Regardless of their friendship in the last month, Takuya and Haruki were close for a very long time. Dwight expected him to be taking it hard. However, Takuya didn't blame Dwight for his sadness. The Haruki that he knew had been gone for a long time.

Dwight nodded to Yolanda's question. "Yeah, that sounds good right about now." He responded.

"Will you be okay, Dwight?" Yolanda asked.

Dwight had been asked that minutes ago by Sherry. The image of her face when she asked with deep concern made him feel weightless and somewhat comforted. "I think so." He said honestly.

Yolanda nodded with satisfaction and then started dealing the cards.

…

Jenna wept quietly in the darkness as Jason made a fire for his family. He already put up a temporary security around their camp with wires and cans that he had found throughout the couple of days. Their belongings were scarce. They almost didn't make it past Negan's thugs but found a steep ravine and hid once they heard shouts of the other members of their group being caught.

Jason felt a stab of guilt at leaving his group in Sanctuary. They had all become a part of his family. However, Dwight made him promise that if things went south that he would convince anyone to come with him and leave. Especially the children.

He looked to Terri who leaned against a tree as the boys rested their heads on her lap. She noticed that Jason was staring at her and in turn glanced back at him with exhaustion written on her face. They wondered if they had made the right choice by leaving Sanctuary. Jason knew it was a corrupt establishment by anyone's standards. But then he wondered if his children would starve to death or be ripped apart by the foes that they currently faced in their cruel world. He cringed at the thought and continued to focus on his fire.

He felt bad for Jenna who had lost yet another mother figure in her life. Terri would try her hardest to fill in Yolanda's shoes but he knew the grief was starting to wear on the poor young girl.

Suddenly they heard a noise in the distance. Jenna's cries fell silent as she stood up on full alert and took out her small knife. Terri woke up the boys as they did the same. Jason pulled his gun out towards the direction that the noise came from. He knew it wasn't a walker as whoever was slow and alert. His heart began to thump quickly as he thought that it could be the Saviors coming to drag them back to Sanctuary.

They then saw a man step towards the fire light with his hands in the air. Jason was briefly reminded of the night that Negan came to their camp in the same cautious way. However, this man's face didn't read cockiness. He looked to be on careful watch as he glanced at everyone in the camp. The man fixed his gaze on the children and immediately appeared remorseful for their sake. Jason could already tell by the man's countenance that he wasn't too far gone like Negan had been. Yet he wasn't sure if he could trust him.

"Hello," the man began. "My name is Aaron. I'm sorry for intruding but I would like to talk to all of you briefly if you would let me." He continued to keep his hands in the air.

Jason walked up to him with his gun still pointed directly at his chest. "State your business where you stand." He warned.

Aaron nodded his consent. "I don't know what you guys have been through but we would like to help by having you become members of our community. It's a safe zone where children are free to play. We have tall fences and solar powered homes." He explained kindly.

Jason looked to the man that almost struck him as a missionary type. Jason didn't want to let his guard down but deep in his gut, he knew the man was telling the truth. It had been a long time since his instincts had told him that something was right. Of course, he would get to the bottom of it before he agreed to go anywhere with Aaron. He turned around and looked to his family and already knew what their next plan was.

"What's this community called?" He inquired.

Aaron smiled but still kept his hands in the air. "It's called Alexandria." He revealed.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES, TRIVIA, &amp; FACTS –**

**#1 – Finished my first fanfiction novel! Yay!**

**#2 – The below list is a "soundtrack" of sorts for book 1. Songs that have inspired some scenes or fit well with constructing parts. Here it is!**

**Dearest Foresaken by Iron &amp; Wine**

**Deep Blue Sea by Grizzly Bear**

**Kettering by The Antlers**

**Ain't No Grave by Johnny Cash**

**Soul of a Man by Steven Stern**

**Loose Ends by Damon Moon &amp; The Whispering Drifters**

**Redemption Song by Bob Marley &amp; The Wailers**

**9 Crimes by Damien Rice**

**Hang Me, Oh, Hang Me by Dave Von Ronk**

**The Fold by Wickerbird**

**Cold by Novo Amor**

**Blackbird Song by Lee DeWyze**

**#3 – The song that Dwight "quoted" in the end is a very old song by the Beatles (who were at the time called the Quarrymen.**


End file.
